The term ‘healthcare innovation’ usually conjures images of lab coats and bedside care, but two recent projects from the RMH Finance team showcase a different side to the picture.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) Finance team's Matt Prowse and Kelvin Lay were recognised at the recent 2023 Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Health Finance Awards for their work using financial tools and analysis to improve patient care.
Matt was the winner of the Innovation award for Revolutionising Health Finance with Innovative Data Analysis. His work analysed the Average Length of Stay metrics, including comparisons with historical data and national benchmarks, resulting in a new tool that can help support decisions for projects aiming to improve length of stay.
Kelvin was the runner-up for the Innovation award for Pioneering Innovation in Health Finance Reporting. Using Power BI – which he describes as an advanced Excel – Kelvin created dynamic reports to help staff explore specific unit data and make decisions. Thanks to their effectiveness, there are plans to roll out the reports as dashboards in future projects.
Kelvin said health finance is a niche within the industry. While they still crunch the numbers, in the RMH Finance team the decisions are ultimately determined by patient needs.
“We’re always trying to improve the way we use data and new technology to explain what’s happening and how people can make decisions to help how we deliver healthcare,” Kelvin said.
Matt said it’s the people-focus that makes working in health finance the most rewarding.
“You’re surrounded by interested people who dedicate themselves to really interesting work,” Matt said.
Keen to join people like Matt and Kelvin supporting great care? Find out more about working at the RMH at our careers page.
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