British Columbia NICU Bed Allocation

The executive director of British Columbia's Neonatal Services Program (BCNSP) is thinking about her last meeting with the officials at the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services (MHS). Following a report indicating that in 2007 to 2008 the province had sent 98 expectant mothers and newborns to the United States for treatment, the province was considering adding more neonatal intensive care (NICU) capacity. Political pressure was mounting after one of Canada's national newspapers covered the problem in a front page story. The MHS asked the executive director to suggest bed allocations and other improvements to address the situation.

This case is useful in a management science of service operations course. Students may be asked to describe a model to address the situation, and students with familiarity with a graphical simulation could be asked to build a model.