Components and Functions of Health

¶ … Components and Functions of Health Care Organizations

Over the last several years, a variety of health organizations have been facing a number of different challenges. This is from an assortment of factors has been effecting industry. Evidence of this can be seen with a study that was conducted by the American College of Health Care Executives. They found that were a number of issues impacting hospitals to include: financial challenges, quality, staff shortages, safety, complying with government regulations, capacity and patient satisfaction. This is important, because it is highlighting how these problems have been causing health care providers to face different challenges. (Avelo, 2010)

In the case of California Hospital Medical Center, they are dealing with similar issues to include: there is an inflexible management structure, high staff turnovers, increasing costs for large capital expenditure projects, stiff competition and customer demand is beginning to wane. These factors are important, because if left unchecked they can slowly eat away at the foundation of the organization. Once this occurs, there is the realistic possibility that the facility may go into bankruptcy. To address these challenges requires creating some kind of strategy that can be used to tackle these problems. This will be accomplished by looking at: the plan, the resources and its effectiveness. Together, these elements will provide the greatest insights as to how the facility can restructure to: deal with current and future challenges.

The Plan

The various problems that are affecting California Hospital Medical Center are the result of a poor operating environment inside the facility. Part of the reason why this is occurring, is because of the success that the organization had in the past (which is creating a sense of complacency among managers and employees). This is troubling, because it means that different issues will quickly emerge that are: tied to the quality of care, the costs and the ability of the hospital to adapt to these changes. As a result, the facility has begun to be affected by these elements in one way or another.

To address these issues, requires dealing with the root causes of the different problems. Obviously, the management structure has been contributing to a host of situations at the hospital. This is because of their inability to quickly adapt to: changes inside the industry and from customers have made the organization less competitive. This is having a direct impact on the quality of care that is being provided and it is resulting in high amounts of employee turnover.

To deal with these challenges, we must bring in a new management team that is more responsive to: the needs of customers, employees and shareholders. The best way to accomplish this is to begin implementing various controls that will monitor the costs and the quality of care that is being provided. You would then augment this, by having managers discuss the problems that are affecting the facility with: the staff and the need for change.

Once this occurs, you would then form alliances with key employees in various departments. The basic idea is to understand what issues are affecting the facility and how to address them. You would then have all of the various staff members (who are in this partnership) serve on an Organizational Change Committee at the hospital. They will make specific recommendations to upper management on how to deal with these issues.

At the same time, outside consultants will be brought in to observe and report what issues are affecting the hospital. This will be accomplished by: having them pose as patients and other staff members. They will report their findings to the Organizational Change Committee. This is important, because it will ensure that an objective view is taken about: what problems could be affecting the facility and how they can be rectified.

The Resources

The different resources that will be required during this process are: increased communication, collaboration and flexibility. This will be accomplished through using high technology to record the problems that are impacting the hospital. For example, a consultant posing as a customer could shoot hidden videos about the kinds of care they are receiving. This is important, because this will provide objective evidence of the problems and how they are affecting patients. Once this occurs, it will present real time information about what issues are the most pressing. ("Use of Technology in Health Care," 2009)