Health Care Finance:
Basic Tools for Nonfinancial Managers

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Tool Box

This Tool Box provides suggested aids to give you assistance and information while you are learning about health care finance from this book.

Business Analyst Calculator and Operator's Manual

You may want to use a business analyst calculator for some of your financial computations. (It is a good tool. Even though you commonly use computer spreadsheets, it is still good to know how to reproduce those computationson a hand held calculator.) In the past most financial analyst calculators produced a printed operator’s manual that contained detailed instructions about to use the calculator. Now the manual - also your tool - is generally available in either hard copy form or as a computer printout.

For example, Texas Instruments has a web site at http://www.ti.com/calc.  It contains the operator’s manual for TI’s business analyst calculator.

Articles About Finance

A good way to use what you are learning from this book is to read other articles about finance.

The Wall Street Journal is a good tool.

Aspen Publishers, Inc. (http://www.AspenPublishers.com) provides many journals and newsletters that are excellent sources for articles about finance. Aspen’s quarterly Journal of Health Care Finance is one example.

Various health care organizations publish monthly magazines. Most of them have at least one section devoted to financial issues. The Healthcare Financial Management magazine is one example. It is published monthly by the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Your local metropolitan newspaper should have a business section that explores financial issues. Sometimes their articles are about health care.

Government Publications

State and federal governmental agencies provide numerous publications that involve health care finance issues. Check their web sites - or request a catalogue of their publications.

The Government Printing Office is the source for federal publications.

Health Care Providers

Health care providers can be a great tool for your study of finance. There will be an array of information available, depending upon the provider.

Your local providers should be a good source. Major players with a national reputation generally have a web site. One example is the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayohealth.org).

You can also request the annual reports from publicly traded chains. This is a great way to see a variety of data as reported by large health care organizations.

Health Care Trade Organizations

Most health care trade organizations provide at least some information related to finance. Their information will generally reflect the interests and direction of their membership. In addition to the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association, there are dozens more organizations who provide such information to their members.

Educational Sources

Your own school’s library should be a source of tools for your study of health care finance. Explore what your school has available to you.

The federal government maintains the National Library of Medicine. It is a tremendous tool.

And there are numerous Health Science Centers across the country, dedicated to providing an array of health-oriented information, some of which is financial in nature.