Utilization gain
Saturday operations lift average bed utilization from 71.4% to 81.0%, using capacity that otherwise sits idle across the weekend.
Applied Graduate Case Analysis · Healthcare Operations · Analyst
Shouldice Hospital
Capacity and operations scenario analysis for a 90-bed specialized surgical hospital evaluating a move to Saturday operations.
The case in brief
Key insight
Average utilization rises from 71.4% to 81.0% (510 patient days against 630 available bed days), but Friday hits 100% with zero operating buffer — the average hides where the schedule actually breaks.
- The challenge
- Shouldice was weighing a move to Saturday operations in a 90-bed specialized surgical facility, where added volume and the capacity to absorb disruption pull against each other.
- My role
- Analyst — I built the capacity calculations, the patient census model, and the scenario comparison the recommendation rests on.
- Approach
- Modeled the baseline five-day schedule against a Saturday scenario, tracking bed days, patient days, and day-by-day utilization rather than an average alone.
- Recommendation
- Expand to Saturday operations while holding the specialized surgical focus, treating the Friday constraint as an explicit implementation risk to monitor.
- What I took from it
- An operational trade-off is only visible at the level where it happens. The daily view, not the weekly average, carried the decision.
- Healthcare Operations
- Capacity Modeling
- Scenario Analysis
- Operational Trade-Offs
- 01
Define
Frame the capacity question in operational terms.
- 02
Model
Map patient census against 90-bed capacity.
- 03
Compare
Baseline schedule against the Saturday scenario.
- 04
Stress-test
Identify where the week loses its buffer.
- 05
Evaluate
Weigh utilization gains against operating flexibility.
Capacity scenario comparison
Select a scenario to see where the constraint moves.
Select scenario
Across a 90-bed facility, the five-day schedule averages 71.4% bed utilization and keeps absorption in the system for cancellations, complications, and extended stays.
Average bed utilization
0.0%
0%100%
- Friday capacity
- Within capacity
- Operating buffer
- Buffer retained
Higher utilization, less operating flexibility.
Trade-off evaluation
Friday constraint
Friday runs at 100% capacity, leaving no absorption for cancellations, complications, or extended stays.
Recommendation
Maintain the specialized surgical focus while expanding to Saturday operations, with the Friday constraint monitored explicitly as an implementation risk.
Skills & Functions
Primary Function
Healthcare Operations · Capacity & Scenario Analysis
Core Skills Demonstrated
- Capacity Analysis
- Patient Census Modeling
- Scenario Analysis
- Constraint Identification
- Operational Trade-Off Evaluation
Tools & Methods Applied
- Bed Utilization Calculations
- Excel Scenario Modeling
- Process Flow Mapping
- Operational Risk Framing