Business Question

BUSI 691ASSURANCE OF LEARNING EXERCISE: CASE STUDY OF SAFETY NET HOSPITAL
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
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.
INSTRUCTIONS
You will write a 5–6-page paper in current APA format that addresses the case questions
presented in the assignment. Your paper must be supplemented with research from your
textbook, and at least 5 scholarly, peer reviewed sources published in the last 5 years. Note: A
minimum of 5 scholarly, peer-reviewed references must be used that support your responses in
the paper in addition to the textbook.
Use of scholarly sources is an expected attribute of academic university course work. Being
able to distinguish between journals (scholarly sources) and magazines (non-scholarly sources) is
important since content in a journal is considered more authoritative than a magazine. Peerreviewed journals are considered the most authoritative sources.
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 nonscholarly sources. Using scholarly sources also means that you are using sources that are aimed
at your readership level as a university student.
What is a scholarly source? Scholarly sources (also referred to as academic, peer-reviewed, or
refereed sources) are written by experts in a particular field and serve to keep others up to date
on the most recent research, findings, and news. These resources will provide the most
substantial information for your research and papers. When a source has been peer-reviewed, it
has undergone the review and scrutiny of a review board of colleagues in the author’s field.
Sources for Scholarly Resources. Look for publications from a professional organization. Use
databases such as JSTOR that contain only scholarly sources. Additionally, use databases such as
Academic Search Complete or other EBSCO databases that allow you to choose “peer-reviewed
journals”. Use university libraries and apply ‘peer reviewed’ as a search criterion. Some
examples of scholarly journals include International Journal for Quality in Health Care, New
England Journal of Medicine, PLoS ONE, Educational Psychologist, and Health Services
Research; books from University presses such as Oxford University Press and the University of
California Press.
BUSI 691
This is a paper, so your answers must not be numbered; thus, you must use titles and
subheadings to guide the reader through the narrative. You may use other quality sources in
addition to support your analysis. Proper grammar and spelling are required.
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 (operational improvement) that Wishard might select in
the given market. In your paper include answers to the following questions and prompts:
1. What was Wishard’s competitive situation? Did Wishard have direct competitors? If so,
in what areas did it compete?
2. Provide an evaluation of the environmental factors impacting the management of the
organization.
3. What strategic leverage did Wishard have over the other area hospitals?
4. From a societal perspective, what problems occur by having a stand-alone public hospital
with a primary mission of serving the indigent population?
5. What strategic steps would you recommend for Wishard?
6. Recommend at least 3 strategic planning initiatives (out of the five provided categories)
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.
a. 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:
i. What are the financial goals of the organization? Envision strategies that
might improve the Operating Budget such as new service lines; or
strategic capital planning that incorporates the use of artificial intelligence
or Cloud technology.
ii. Human capital management strategies help an organization be adaptable in
a changing market. Consider discussing the implementation of a
workforce learning and development plan, or a leadership succession
program.
iii. Operational improvement can enhance the quality and safety of care. As a
healthcare leader think about creating a permanent performance
improvement team or implementing a best-practice system to define
program outcomes and interventions.
iv. Effective marketing strategies can help an organization stand out and
capture a larger market share. Consider discussing the use of messaging
apps, engaging with social media, or creating content for a niche health
service market.
BUSI 691
v. Legal/Regulatory compliance is the process and procedures that aid an
organization’s adherence to the regulations, laws, and other requirements
that exist wherever the organization operates. Take into account planning
initiatives that might ensure the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) is observed by all staff, or that clear, concise
instructions in familiar language are available to all health consumers, or
that educational materials are provided that promote overall good health in
connection with medical treatment (this may reduce hospital readmissions
or reduce ED visits).
7. 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.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.