Prepare a 1,000-1,250 word paper that presents your assessment and proposes a strategic plan to ensure readiness. Include the following:
Describe the health care organization or network.
Describe the organization\’s overall readiness based on your findings.
Prepare a strategic plan to address issues pertaining to network growth, nurse staffing, resource management, and patient satisfaction.
Identify any current or potential issues within the organizational culture and discuss how these issues may affect aspects of the strategic plan.
Propose a theory or model that could be used to support implementation of the strategic plan for this organization. Explain why this theory or model is best.
Health Organization Evaluation
Health organizations play an important role in care provision and helping their communities and health populations access quality care at reasonable prices. These providers range from health insurance companies to systems with multiple facilities and specialties employing thousands of health and medical professionals to offer care. These organizations are for-profit while some are community-based and not for-profit (Dearing, 2018). The purpose of this paper is to research Banner Health and assess its readiness to meet the healthcare needs of the public in the coming decade. The paper creates a strategic plan to address issues related to different aspects of the organization, and identifies current aspects within its organizational culture and their effects on the plan. In its final part, the paper proposes a theory or mode to support the implementation of the suggested strategic plan.
Description of Banner Health
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Banner Health Network is one of the biggest health systems in the United States with operations spanning across six states. The health care provider operates 28 hospitals and multiple specialized facilities within these areas. Banner Health is a big employer in Arizona and the United States with over 50,000 employees. The entity provides hospital care services that include inpatient and outpatient (Banner Health, 2021). The organization offers hospital care, emergency services, hospice care and long-term as well as home care for different levels of clients.
The mission of the healthcare system is to provide quality care. Banner Health was established after the merger between Samaritan Health System that was situated in Phoenix and Lutheran Health System previously headquartered in North Dakota in 1999. Banner has expanded its services to cover more states that include Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico, Minnesota, Kansas and South Dakota (Banner Health, 2021). Banner Health’s performance has been significant with increased revenue as indicated by its growth with over $7 billion and assets worth close to $13 billion in the financial year ending 2019.
The mission and vision of the entity guide it towards its operation with professional conduct being the driver behind its goal of nurturing healthcare practitioners that understand the dynamic and transforming nature of the health system across the country based on diversity and increasing demand for services (Banner Health, 2021). The organization believes that skilled healthcare specialists play important roles in advancing health care provision and value-based care.
Readiness in Meeting Health Care Needs of Citizens
The healthcare system in the country is transforming with reforms focusing on increased patient engagement, use of innovative models, and application of evidence-based practice while leveraging on health information technologies. Studies show that the transformation in healthcare implores health entities like Banner Health to create strategic plans based on the demands to fulfil patient unique needs, especially on multiple issues like nursing shortage, an aging population, and emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases that could result in pandemics like the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) (Vogenberg, 2019). The readiness of the organization is critical to attaining its goals and remaining sustainable as a business model focused on offering value-based care interventions.
Assessing Banner Health’s readiness requires performance of a detailed evaluation of various facets of the organization’s functioning. These include its approach to innovative, addressing current health concerns like nursing shortage, meeting rising care demands from diverse populations due to reforms focused on expansion of accessibility, quality of care, and reduction of costs (Dearing, 2018). The management of critical operations, promoting innovative thinking and an effective communication strategy are some of the tools that evaluates the organization’s readiness. Based on these aspects, one can argue that Banner Health has an impeccable readiness stature to cater for the needs of patients in the states it operates. The multiple care facilities, specialties, and a workforce of over 50,000 healthcare practitioners and other cadre of employees to support them are an indication of its readiness. However, embedding innovative approaches will help the organization manage the increased demand for healthcare services across the care continuum.
Strategic Plan
Strategic plans allow organizations to attain their goals and objectives. In this case, the developed strategic plan for Banner Health Network focuses on its network expansion, staffing needs, resource management, and patient satisfaction. Network growth and increasing an organization’s reach and influence are critical part of strategic plans. Banner can expand more through collaborations, mergers and acquisitions as well as implementing business models that focus on patient-centered care like the evidence-based practice (EBP). Further, adoption of multidisciplinary approach and leveraging on value-based care will attract more patients to the entity and enable it to grow its reach and locations.
The issues of nurse staffing and management of resources are critical for healthcare establishments like Banner Health Network. Nursing shortage continues to be a public health concern and organizations like Banner require effective strategies to retain their nursing workforce (Vogenberg, 2019). Banner can overcome this problem by training and developing its nurses to leverage best practices to enhance quality care provision. Effective use of human and financial resources implores the organization to ensure that its operations optimize the available resources to attain its overall goals. It can launch an education program for potential applicants, especially registered nurses without a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Patient satisfaction is tied to sufficient human resources and best practices to enhance care delivery. The organization can remain sustainable when it gets high ratings for its patient satisfaction through meeting the diverse needs based on individuals and health populations.
Potential Issues in Organizational Culture
An organizational culture is a fundamental part of effective care delivery as it entails values, norms, and ethics that guide behaviors of providers. In this case, an evaluation of Banner Health shows that hiring processes should align with the values espoused by the entity. Discriminative hiring practices leads to shortage of nursing. The Quadruple Aim framework requires healthcare organizations to cater for the needs of their clinicians and other healthcare providers like nurses. Banner Health should ensure that the welfare of its nursing staff is addressed by countering problems like increased workload, a preference for certain kind of nurses based on their racial composition, and unfriendly environment that leads to increased turnover. Without effective approaches to these issues that impact the organization, it would be difficult for Banner Health to attain its strategic plan. Banner must address issues of nurse staffing to effectively offer quality care and expand while satisfying patient needs for better outcomes.
Proposed Model or Theory
Implementation of strategic plans requires organizations and their stakeholders to use effective models or theories that will lead to better outcomes and effective evaluation during the execution. The most appropriate model in Banner Health’s case is the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model Rodríguez-González et al., 2020). The model allows organizations to carry out self-assessment to measure their strengths and recognize areas that need improvement for the entity across its activities and operations. The tool will ensure that the organization attains excellence as it transitions to reach more people using approaches like value-based care (Pattanaik, 2020). The model will encourage the management to institute changes focused on better care delivery and quality outcomes.
Conclusion
Banner Health Network is a critical player in healthcare provision in the country, especially in states where it operates facilities. While the organization continues to attain better results and expansion, it can remain sustainable through innovative approaches to enhance overall care delivery, reduce cost of care, and improve quality offered to patients, families and communities it serves. The evaluation demonstrates that while the organization is ready to serve diverse populations in the next decade, it needs to leverage innovative models, EBP utilization, and staffing development for its long-term sustainability.
References
Banner Health (2021). About Banner Health. https://www.bannerhealth.com/about
Dearing, J. W. (2018). Organizational readiness tools for global health intervention: A review.
Frontiers in Public Health, 6(56), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00056
Pattanaik, B. (2020). Quality Assessment Using EFQM Model for Overall Excellence of Indian
Health Care Sector. Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, 11(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.37506/ijphrd.v11i1.558
Rodríguez-González, C. G., Sarobe-González, C., Durán-García, M. E., Mur-Mur, A., Sánchez-
Fresneda, M. N., de las Mercedes Pañero-Taberna, M., … & Sanjurjo-Sáez, M. (2020). Use of the EFQM excellence model to improve hospital pharmacy performance. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 16(5), 710-716.
doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.08.030.
Vogenberg F. R. (2019). US Healthcare Trends and Contradictions in 2019. American health &
drug benefits, 12(1), 40–47.
Woo, B., Lee, J., & Tam, W. (2017). The impact of the advanced practice nursing role on the
quality of care, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and cost in the emergency and critical care settings: a systematic review. Human resources for health, 15(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-017-0237-9.
Healthcare organizations have the responsibility of providing care to various populations. While some organizations may operate within a given region, others may have the objective of expanding to the national and even the international levels. In the United States of America, there are healthcare organizations that offer their services not only at the state level but also at the federal level. They often attempt to expand their services to numerous states. United Healthcare Organization is one of the healthcare institutions that operate in different states. Other similar institutions may include Banner Health and Vanguard. For private healthcare institutions, the provision of healthcare services to various states often leads to an increase in revenues and protection of many people’s lives. The paper provides an evaluation of the United Healthcare Organization, including overall readiness to operate in various environments as well as its strategic plans.
Description of Healthcare Organization (United Healthcare Organization)
United Healthcare organization is an American for-profit company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The institution offers insurance services and health care products to its members. United Healthcare Company is the largest healthcare organization globally by revenues as of 2019. In the same year, the organization recorded total revenues of close to $242.2 billion (Branch et al., 2019). The company’s revenues encompass 80% of the group’s overall revenue. The company is also ranked 6th on the Fortune 500 as of the year 2019 (Branch et al., 2019).
United Healthcare organization serves millions of people across different states of America. The institution offers services to the people from their earliest years of development, through to their working lives and into retirement. What keeps the organization’s reputation is the mission to enable people to live healthier and better lives amidst the emergence of diseases and complex situations in healthcare delivery services. The organization also works to make the healthcare system work for every individual within their areas of operation (Jacobson et al., 2017). United Healthcare Organization is working to develop an integrated system that is more affordable for all the people. Also, the organization works to establish a system that can deliver high-quality care that is responsive to the needs of every person and the communities.
United Healthcare’s Overall Readiness
United Healthcare Company has an elaborate workforce that is able to transform the institution’s desires. Employees work in line with organizational objectives and mission. Given the wide variety of services offered to different people across different states in America, the company has policymakers who are able to analyze trends in the healthcare industry and offer implicit decisions on the way forward. The company has made this possible due to the committed workforce and careful analysis of the markets and various healthcare industries for the company.
The company also has several healthcare plans that can benefit different persons, depending on their needs and income levels. Some of the plans include UnitedHealthcare select plus, UnitedHealthcare select, UnitedHealthcare Choice, which operate as HMO where there is also an option of choosing preferred specialists. These healthcare plans are available for all individuals who plan to get access to medical services. United Healthcare Company provides commercial group insurance plans in different states within the United States of America over various products name with different offerings (Branch et al., 2019).
United Healthcare organization has perfect transformation strategies to counter continuous changes in the healthcare system. Continuous improvement processes in quality delivery is one of the strategies that is geared towards improving the overall quality of services offered. The company also formulates policies that enhance the operational processes and adhere to the possible transformations in the market. United Health Company works in collaboration with other healthcare organizations to facilitate the delivery of quality care at affordable costs. The partnerships and associations formed to define the overall healthcare readiness to tackle some of the challenges associated with the variations in the market and possible disruptions caused by technology and new operational environments (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). Through collaboration, the organization can initiate a transformative agenda that may enhance the operational processes.
Strategic Plan
In most cases, preparing for the planning arrangement, clear mission, vision, and agreement priority are some of the strategic planning processes. Many times, preparation for the strategic plans should be a comprehensive process as it needs to cover the required arrangements to ensure the affluence of an organization. Through the following three steps in strategic planning, there is always the need to eliminate weaknesses, including the gaps in the range of the available products. Strategies enable the businesses to achieve the mission and vision as well as the successful outcome.
Mission
The mission is to provide better healthcare services, and decision-making supports for better healthcare outcomes.
Vision
To be the leading healthcare provider through enhanced medical and insurance services globally.
Financial Planning
United Health Company plans to increase revenues by expanding their services to different states. They also tend to offer more options for healthcare plans to ensure that many people are registered to receive quality healthcare services. Huge financial resources are expected to go to healthcare plans.
Network Growth
The company anticipates expanding its network growth through collaboration with other healthcare organizations such as hospitals and healthcare centers. Also, the management plans to collaborate with other healthcare insurance companies to realize their full potential in the global healthcare industry.
Nurse and Staffing
With the increasing customer base, the organization plans to increase the number of workers to handle various services. At the same time, the human resource department has been tasked with the responsibility of enhancing the skills and technical abilities of the workers to ensure effective service delivery.
Resource Management
As the company is expanding, there is always the need to increase the number of resources and to provide proper management services. United Healthcare is engaged in the development of strategies to enhance resource allocation and effective utilization. With the continuous expansion of services, United Healthcare Company plans to set up more offices and healthcare centers in different states and increase the services offered. Also, the company plans to increase technological services. With the growth in technology, the organization plans to invest more in technology to enhance service delivery and efficiency in care.
Patient Satisfaction
In United Healthcare Company, patient satisfaction is the key. The organization tends to invest more resources in enhancing service delivery to promote patient satisfaction. The increased use of technology is expected to enhance service delivery, a scenario that will, in turn, promote patient satisfaction. One of the organization’s main plans in terms of patient satisfaction is the facilitation of the self-care delivery models that will enable patients to receive satisfactory services.
Current Issues with the Organizational Culture
United Health Organization holds strong cultural values that enable the workforce to stick to effective operational processes. The organization has a strong culture of collaboration, appreciation, support, and community . Also, patient care is at the center of its cultural practices. Effective service delivery and patient satisfaction further contribute to strong cultural values. The above cultural practices may enhance the development and achievement of the strategic plans. A culture of ensuring patient satisfaction, for instance, enhances the achievement of the organizational objective of providing sufficient services to the customers. In general, the organizational culture guides the workforce as well as the management in establishing the goals or objectives within the organization.
Issue-Based Strategic Planning Model
An issue-based strategic planning model can support the implementation of the above strategic plan for the United Healthcare Organization. The issue-based strategic model can be used to provide strategies for present and future plans. The model is critical as it aims at identifying the possible challenges or problems that an organization might face. It starts by ironing out issues before expanding and shifting the strategies that are applied in the implementation of the strategic plans. The issue-based strategic planning is the best given that fact that it considers all the factors or barriers that an organization might face.
Conclusion
United Healthcare Organization is one of the institutions that offer healthcare services, including health insurance plans to millions of people in the United States of America. Because of the strong organizational values and a strong and committed workforce, it ranked as one of the best healthcare companies globally. The organization also partners with different care providers where they collaborate to improve general patient care. The organization is also operating to create a more sustainable healthcare system that can provide quality services to every person involved.
ReferencesBottom of Form
Branch, L., Eller, W., Bias, T., McCawley, M., Myers, D., Gerber, B., & Bassler, J. (2019). Trends in malware attacks against United States healthcare organizations, 2016-2017. Global Biosecurity, 1(1).
Jacobson, G., Damico, A., Neuman, T., & Gold, M. (2017). Medicare Advantage 2017 spotlight: enrollment market update. accessed on August, 20, 2017.
Salmond, S. W., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare transformation and changing roles for nursing. Orthopedic nursing, 36(1), 12.