Been asked to develop standardized audit procedures for 8 HCA hospitals across Tennessee and Kentucky. Each facility has different utility providers (TVA, LG&E, Nashville Electric) but similar operations. Looking for advice on creating consistent methodology across different rate structures.
HCA hospital chain - standardized audit approach
Darlene - focus on the common elements first: demand management, power factor correction, rate schedule optimization. The specific tariff details will vary by utility but the fundamental hospital billing issues are consistent across providers.
Gerald's approach is sound. Create a master checklist covering demand coincidence, emergency power billing, tax exemption status, and energy efficiency rebates. Then customize the rate analysis section for each utility territory. Hospital operations are standardized enough that 80% of your procedures will be universal.
Also consider seasonal variations in healthcare demand. Flu season, summer cooling loads, and holiday staffing all impact usage patterns differently than typical commercial accounts. Build that seasonality analysis into your standard procedures.
Great suggestions all around. Randy's 80/20 split makes sense for structuring the procedures. Lucille's point about seasonality is something I hadn't fully considered. This gives me a solid framework to start with.