Middleville Regional Health Care is one (1) of three (3) hospitals serving a community of 350,000 people. Summary statistics on Middleville and its competitors, from the AHA Guide, are shown below in Table 1. All three organizations are not-for-profit.
Table 1: Middleville, Brierfield, and Greystone Health Care Systems
Name | Beds | Admissions | Census | OP Visits | Births | Expenses (000) | Personnel |
Middleville | 575 | 13,000 | 350 | 221,000 | 2,300 | $125,000 | 2,000 |
Brierfield | 380 | 17,000 | 260 | 175,000 | 1,200 | $130,000 | 1,875 |
Greystone | 350 | 10,000 | 180 | 40,000 | 900 | $80,000 | 1,200 |
The governing board of Middleville hired a consulting company to evaluate its strategic performance, specifically in the areas of Human Resources, Information Technology, Financing, and Marketing. As part of the consultant’s evaluation, several leaders of Middleville’s units were asked their perspective of the organization’s performance.
You are working for the consultant. Your job is to identify the issues from the response that should be considered further by the consultant team and possibly discussed with the governing board and the CEO. The firm has a rule, “Never offer a criticism or negative finding without suggesting how the client organization can correct it,” so you must indicate what sort of correction you would recommend as part of your list. Because you know there were about two (2) dozen other interviews, you decide you should rank your issues in importance, to make sure the most critical are discussed.
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:
- Explain the governing board’s role in these strategic initiatives, determining its responsibility and involvement.
- Evidence-based management means that operational and strategic decisions are made based upon the evidence that goals and objectives are actually being met. Quantitative measurements must be identified and measured. This data is then used to evaluate the HCO’s performance. Name three (3) performances Middleville can use to measure its success in providing quality healthcare to the community, and identify quantifiable, measureable indicators that can be used to do so. Explain the importance of each performance measurement.
- Given the statistics of Middleville and its two (2) competitors provided in Table 1, recommend to the HCO what areas it should focus on to maintain its competitive market share as well as continue to provide healthcare to the community in the 21st century.
- Some of Middleville’s Board members are very interested in pursuing advanced technology systems over the next five (5) years, while others are concerned about the enormous expense and need assurance that the investment in technology will be worthwhile. In both monetary and process terms, describe the costs and benefits associated with implementing EMR and associated health data systems. Lay out a plan for how various systems can be implemented.
- Middleville has faced many challenges in recruiting and retaining nurses and other clinical employees. The economy has hit the area very hard and budgetary limitations have reduced the amount of money available for salary increases. The Board knows it needs to provide other benefits to their valued employees. Provide at least two (2) suggestions to Human Resources to promote employee satisfaction and, therefore, retain experienced personnel.
- Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
- Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
<!–[if !supportLists]–>a. <!–[endif]–>Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
<!–[if !supportLists]–>b. <!–[endif]–>Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
<!–[if !supportLists]–>c. <!–[endif]–>Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
How to solve
Health Services Organization Management: Middleville Regional Healthcare Nursing Assignment Help
Introduction:
The following are answers to a set of questions related to the strategic initiatives of Middleville Regional Health Care and its competitors. These answers are designed for medical college students to gain understanding and practice in evaluating healthcare organizations’ strategic performance.
1. Explain the governing board’s role in these strategic initiatives, determining its responsibility, and involvement.
The governing board of Middleville is responsible for defining the strategic direction of the organization. The board is tasked with setting the goals and objectives of the organization and ensuring they align with the mission and vision of the company. The board is also responsible for delegating responsibilities to the executive team and holding them accountable for achieving the objectives set forth. The board’s involvement in strategic initiatives is vital, as their decisions impact the organization’s long-term success.
2. Evidence-based management means that operational and strategic decisions are made based upon the evidence that goals and objectives are actually being met. Quantitative measurements must be identified and measured. This data is then used to evaluate the HCO’s performance. Name three (3) performances Middleville can use to measure its success in providing quality healthcare to the community, and identify quantifiable, measurable indicators that can be used to do so. Explain the importance of each performance measurement.
Three performance measurements that Middleville can use to measure its success in providing quality healthcare to the community are patient satisfaction scores, readmission rates, and mortality rates.
Patient satisfaction scores provide an indication of how patients perceive the quality of the care they receive. Quantifiable, measurable indicators that can be used to measure this include surveys that ask patients about their level of satisfaction with their care. Patient satisfaction is essential because it plays a role in patient retention and referral.
Readmission rates indicate how often patients are being readmitted to the hospital within a certain period after being discharged. Quantifiable, measurable indicators that can be used to measure this include tracking the number of readmissions within 30 days of discharge. It’s important to minimize readmission rates since avoidable readmissions lead to higher medical costs and reflect poorly on the quality of care provided.
Mortality rates provide information about the number of deaths in the hospital attributed to avoidable causes. Quantifiable, measurable indicators that can be used to measure this include tracking the number of deaths from avoidable causes. Minimizing mortality rates is crucial because it reflects on the quality of care provided and impacts the hospital’s reputation.
3. Given the statistics of Middleville and its two (2) competitors provided in Table 1, recommend to the HCO what areas it should focus on to maintain its competitive market share as well as continue to provide healthcare to the community in the 21st century.
Based on the statistics provided in Table 1, Middleville should focus on increasing the number of beds and reducing expenses while maintaining its level of admission. Increasing the number of beds would provide more capacity, allowing them to serve a larger population. This is important because competition from other healthcare organizations is increasing, and Middleville must maintain its ability to provide healthcare to its community. Additionally, reducing expenses will allow Middleville to operate more efficiently and remain competitive with its two competitors.
4. Some of Middleville’s Board members are very interested in pursuing advanced technology systems over the next five (5) years, while others are concerned about the enormous expense and need assurance that the investment in technology will be worthwhile. In both monetary and process terms, describe the costs and benefits associated with implementing EMR and associated health data systems. Lay out a plan for how various systems can be implemented.
The cost of implementing an EMR and associated health data system can be significant, typically upwards of $100 million for a large healthcare organization. The benefits, however, are numerous and can significantly improve patient outcomes, increase efficiency, and reduce costs in the long term.
One way Middleville can implement an EMR system is to start by transforming its paper-based records system into digital records. This could be followed by implementing a patient portal that would provide patients access to their health data, including their medical records, test results, and appointment schedules. Next, Middleville could implement a clinical decision support system that would aid in the decision-making process for physicians and other medical professionals. Finally, implementing a health information exchange would allow for seamless communication between different healthcare organizations.
5. Middleville has faced many challenges in recruiting and retaining nurses and other clinical employees. The economy has hit the area very hard, and budgetary limitations have reduced the amount of money available for salary increases. The Board knows it needs to provide other benefits to their valued employees. Provide at least two (2) suggestions to Human Resources to promote employee satisfaction and, therefore, retain experienced personnel.
One suggestion to promote employee satisfaction and retain experienced personnel is to offer non-monetary benefits such as flexible work schedules, telecommuting options, and career development opportunities. These benefits can provide a better work-life balance, help alleviate stress, and enhance employee skills and knowledge.
Another suggestion is to provide opportunities for employee recognition and engagement, such as an employee of the month program, organized social events, and team building activities. This recognition can improve employee morale and job satisfaction, leading to a more positive work environment and higher retention rates.
Conclusion:
The above answers provide an understanding of Middleville Regional Health Care’s strategic performance and how to evaluate it. They provide medical college students with the knowledge and skills to analyze healthcare organizations effectively.
