Project Management and Healthcare
SERIES ARTICLE
By Dr. Deepa Bhide, MBBS, DCH, PMP
Hyderabad, India
Introduction
In the high-stakes world of emergency medicine, few scenarios are as critical as a cardiac event. The suddenness, the complexity, and the sheer weight of life hanging in the balance create an environment of intense pressure. But beneath the adrenaline and the urgent actions lies a structure surprisingly similar to something much more familiar: a project. While comparing a medical crisis to a planned endeavor may seem unconventional, the parallels between a medical emergency and a project managed within a formal framework are striking. This article explores this unexpected, unconventional connection, demonstrating how the core principles of project management – from defining objectives and allocating resources to managing risks and controlling outcomes – are not just theoretical concepts but practical tools that medical professionals implicitly utilize every day in the fight to save lives.
Through exploring a real-life cardiac emergency in rural India, the author, a physician and project manager, integrates the project management framework to demonstrate how structured planning and execution can save lives. The “deliverables” in the project management parlance are positive patient outcomes: stable vital signs, restored heart function, reduced pain, improved quality of life, and ultimately, patient discharge and long-term recovery.
The article underscores the need to imagine patient care through the lens of a project management framework so that healthcare and project management can adopt each other’s best practices for a successful project.
The Emergency Unfolds
It was a quiet afternoon at the rural health sub-center in Sundarpur*, a small village in India with a population of about 5000. The center, staffed by a single auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM), Priya*, and a community health worker (CHW), was the region’s first point of contact for healthcare. The primary health center lacked dedicated medical personnel. Suddenly, a young farmer, Ramesh*, was rushed in by his family. He was clutching his chest, sweating profusely, and struggling to breathe. Priya quickly recognized the severity of the situation—Ramesh was likely experiencing a cardiac event.
Cardiac events, such as acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), require immediate intervention. Time is critical; delays in treatment can lead to irreversible heart damage or death.
Priya’s quick assessment and decision to initiate the emergency response align with PMI’s initiating process for the project management framework. She identified the project’s objective (saving Ramesh’s life), stakeholders (Ramesh, his family, the PHC team, and the ambulance service), and constraints (limited resources and time sensitivity).
Priya’s plan focused on stabilization and transfer. She administered oxygen and available medications, monitored vitals, and contacted the nearest Primary Health Center (PHC) to arrange an ambulance. Priya accompanied Ramesh and his immediate family in the ambulance, continuously monitoring his condition and communicating with the PHC team through the mobile network connection to the PHC. This allowed the PHC to get real-time information about the incoming patient. While in transit to the PHC, Priya adjusted her actions, such as elevating Ramesh’s legs when his blood pressure dropped and resuscitating Ramesh when needed.
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Editor’s note: This series is by Dr. Deepa Bhide, a practicing pediatrician with additional experience in information technology and project management. Her 2023 and 2024 series of articles introduced readers to a range of important issues related to programs, projects and PM in healthcare. In this new series, Dr. Bhide interviews experienced healthcare, IT and project professionals around the world and reflects on the impact of artificial intelligence on global healthcare. Learn more about Dr. Bhide in her author profile at the end of this article. To read previous works by Dr. Bhide, visit https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-deepa-bhide/
How to cite this paper: Bhide, D. (2025). Management of Medical Emergencies Through Project Management Lens: Project Management in Healthcare, series article, PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue III, March. Available online at http://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pmwj150-Mar2025-Bhide-medical-emergencies-through-project-management-lens.pdf
About the Author
Dr. Deepa Bhide
Hyderabad, India
Dr. Deepa Bhide, MBBS, DCH, PMP, has over 20 years of professional experience where she has blended medical practice and research with IT and Project Management. She juggles consulting, training, and operations and is proficient in clinical medicine, project management, and healthcare information technology. Starting her career as a medical practitioner, she has worked with varied organizations before her current stint as vice president for Inventurus Knowledge Solutions.
Deepa’s growing interest and work in these areas, born from her day-to-day patient interactions, helped her view Project Management as a backbone of progressive healthcare. Her paper on “Patient Care – A Project Management Perspective” has received global recognition and acclaim. With a physician background as a solid foundation to leverage IT/PM skills and knowledge, Deepa has blended her broad-based experience and learnings to present a unified, holistic, and wholesome view of Project Management and Healthcare, a cross-domain confluence. Through various webinars, events, talks, and writings across platforms, Deepa has been an evangelist in championing global project management during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Gold medalist from Osmania University for standing First in the MBBS course, she pursued her DCH in Pediatrics and Child health. Deepa has served various roles in local and global Project Management Institute (PMI) regions. She remains actively engaged with PMI and has been a participant and speaker for various national and global meetings and online events.
Deepa lives in Hyderabad, India, and loves traveling, singing, and experimenting with global cuisine. She can be contacted at deepa.bhide@gmail.com.
To view other works by Dr. Bhide, visit her author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-deepa-bhide/
