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. 2017 Jul 11;17(Suppl 1):457.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-017-2341-x.

The hub-and-spoke organization design: an avenue for serving patients well

James K Elrod  1 , John L Fortenberry Jr  2   3
Affiliations

The hub-and-spoke organization design: an avenue for serving patients well

James K Elrod et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: The healthcare industry is characterized by intensive, never-ending change occurring on a multitude of fronts. Success in such tumultuous environments requires healthcare providers to be proficient in myriad areas, including the manner in which they organize and deliver services. Less efficient designs drain precious resources and hamper efforts to deliver the best care possible to patients, making it imperative that optimal pathways are identified and pursued. One particular avenue that offers great potential for serving patients efficiently and effectively is known as the hub-and-spoke organization design.

Discussion: The hub-and-spoke organization design is a model which arranges service delivery assets into a network consisting of an anchor establishment (hub) which offers a full array of services, complemented by secondary establishments (spokes) which offer more limited service arrays, routing patients needing more intensive services to the hub for treatment. Hub-and-spoke networks afford many benefits for healthcare providers, but in order to capitalize fully, proper assembly is required. To advance awareness, knowledge, and use of the hub-and-spoke organization design, this article profiles Willis-Knighton Health System's service delivery network which has utilized the model for over three decades. Among other things, the hub-and-spoke organization design is defined, benefits are stipulated, and applications are discussed, permitting healthcare providers essential insights for the establishment and operation of these networks.

Conclusions: The change-rich nature of the healthcare industry places a premium on incorporating advancements that permit health and medical providers to operate as optimally as possible. The hub-and-spoke organization design represents an option that, when deployed correctly, can greatly assist healthcare establishments in their quests to serve patients well.

Keywords: Healthcare delivery networks; Hub-and-spoke; Medical care; Organization design.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A map presenting Willis-Knighton Health System’s hub-and-spoke network. Copyright © 2017 Willis-Knighton Health System. Used with permission. Willis-Knighton Health System’s hub-and-spoke network consists of one hub, Willis-Knighton Medical Center, and five primary spokes: WK South, WK Bossier Health Center, WK Pierremont Health Center, WK Rehabilitation Institute, and The Oaks of Louisiana. Numerous general and specialty medical clinics, located throughout the region, also serve as spokes linked to the main campus hub
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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