For this assignment, read “The Struggle of a Safety Net Hospital” case in the course text.
Identification of strategic competitive situations is important for a health organization to effectively sustain operations over the long-term.
Environmental factors impact the effectiveness and efficiency of any healthcare business.
Businesses must continually assess the strategic leverage they have over other area businesses; thus, the identification of environmental factors is essential for the development of a successful strategic plan.
This assignment provides an understanding of the varying nature of competition in the healthcare industry.
The authority and credibility evident in scholarly sources will contribute a great deal to the overall quality of your papers.
The major advantage of citing peer-reviewed articles is that they provide a trusted form of knowledge; this trust is particularly important in your assignments when you need to support your statements with literature.
Information presented in scholarly/peer reviewed sources is more reliable and trustworthy than information from non-scholarly sources.
As you read the case perceive the difficulties of aligning strategic decisions with the organization’s mission; analyze the potential effects of increasing copays at a public hospital; and consider other strategic directions that Wishard might select in the given market.
In your paper include answers to the following questions and prompts:
What was Wishard’s competitive situation? Did Wishard have direct competitors? If so, in what areas did it compete?
Provide an evaluation of the environmental factors impacting the management of the organization.
What strategic leverage did Wishard have over the other area hospitals?
From a societal perspective, what problems occur by having a stand-alone public hospital with a primary mission of serving the indigent population?
What strategic steps would you recommend for Wishard?
Recommend at least 3 strategic planning initiatives for the organization which are supported by peer reviewed sources. Recommend strategies for 3 of the following categories that incorporate a financial analysis, human capital management, operational improvement, marketing, or legal/regulatory compliance plan.
Healthcare planning must account for probable government policy changes, technological advancements and economic trends that could significantly change an organization’s operations. Incorporate peer reviewed literature support and expand upon 3 of the following categorical examples (i. – v.) or provide strategic initiatives of your own:
Include at least 3 environmental factors in the analysis. Each factor discussed must include peer reviewed literature support.
Environmental factors refer to external influences on a business that it has limited control over but that it must consider as part of strategic planning.
Typical environmental factors addressed by organizations fit into four categories – social, legal, political and economic.