It is clear that many organizations such as the Middleville Regional Healthcare do expect that their respective governing boards are active in the process of formulating strategies. In this case, organizations need to ensure that they include in the codes of conduct, the specific tasks that should be played by the governing board. According to Walker (2009), for example, there are clear and specific responsibilities of governing boards as far as strategic development is concerned. Walker (2009) observes that one of the critical roles of a governing board is setting the ultimate direction for an institution with the aim of leading it to the meeting of the objectives. At the same time, Walker notes that the governing boards need to understand, review, approve as well as assess specific directions and initiatives. In addition, the governing boards are required to be responsible for understanding and evaluating the risks and forces that are associated with the long-term performance of an organization. However, it has been shown that in reality, the governing boards’ responsibilities are more detailed than they are expected based on the complexities of different companies.
In reference to the case study, the Middleville Regional Healthcare has already outsourced the services of a consulting firm with the aim of evaluating the strategic performance in different areas such as in Information Technology, Marketing, Financing and Human Resources. The results that would be obtained will be utilized in the provision of a new and strategic direction for the organization. On this basis, it should be noted that as the pressures from the management for companies continue to increase, the governing board is currently being involved in the creation of an ongoing strategic role. At the same time, governing bodies ensure that their involvement in the approval of strategic proposals as well monitoring the steps and progress of the strategic goals of the organization is limited. Important to underscore is that the governing boards should participate in the development of the strategic direction of organizations. In this context, the governing board in the Middleville Regional Healthcare has been primarily involved in the strategic development, which needs a clear as well as a correct understanding of the organization. Based on this reason, the board has ensured that it hires a consulting firm with the aim of evaluating the strategic performance.
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As Middleville’s progresses in getting involved in the development of strategic direction, it needs to distinguish between different types of strategic actions such as strategic decision, strategic thinking, strategic exaction as well as strategic planning. In respect to the strategic thinking, the governing board is expected to ensure that the information about the business models and the nature of existing competition in the healthcare industry is collected, analyzed, and discussed (Nadler, 2004). On the other hand, the governing board, based on the strategic decision making, is tasked with coming up with directional decisions to facilitate determination of how the Middleville Regional Healthcare should allocate available resources. Notably, the process of strategic planning involves the identification of priorities, setting of goals as well as the allocation of different resources in the facilitation of the implementation of directions of specific and selected strategies. Consequently, it is the responsibility of the governing board to ensure that it identifies the priorities, facilitates the allocation of available resources and sets the required objectives so that the organization’s strategic plans are implemented. Further, in relation to the strategic execution, the Middleville Regional Healthcare’s governing board monitors as well as implements the results that are necessary for the corrective action.
It is clear that the governing board’s role dramatically differs in the different areas of strategy highlighted above. In the early stage of strategic development, the focus of the governing board is on the discussion of issues that surround competition in the healthcare industry. The discussion is followed by ensuring that directional choices are made, especially those that are connected to decision making process. After the board has put in place directional decisions, it is expected to review as well as monitor the progress and measures taken in making the plan the primary focus of the entire organization. In this case, it is important to note that the Middleville Regional Healthcare’s governing board, together with the assistance from the consulting firm, will be in a position of participating in strategic decision making and strategic thinking on areas that are related to Human Resources, Information Technology, Financing, and Marketing.
Performances That Middleville Can Utilize in Measuring Success in the Provision of Quality Healthcare to the Community
It is crucial to underscore that the level of success of the governing board is dependent upon the ability of the same board in selecting metrics of performance that it can monitor easily with the aim of finding out if its Human Resources, Information Technology, Financing, and Marketing are efficiently functioning. Important to emphasize is that the organization’s governing board should select manageable metrics of performance that touch the four main different areas that should add value to the institution. On this end, the standard performance metrics need to cover financial issues, organizational issues, operations, the position that the company is in the market, as well as the nature of its relationship that exists with stakeholders. Additionally, it is advisable that in the process of identifying the performance metrics for the organizational factors that bring value to the Middleville Regional Healthcare both in the short and long period need to be considered.
In light of the above observation, one of the critical metrics of performance that the Middleville Regional Healthcare needs to use in measuring the level of success in the provision of quality service to the community is by launching a new strategy of marketing, which will act as a way of ensuring that the market share of the organization is increased in the healthcare industry by twenty percent in the next three years. According to the governing board of the institution, through ensuring that the community is aware of the quality services, by implementing a new strategy of marketing, there will be an increased number of visits as well as admissions. In this way, the organization will be in a position of measuring this performance through finding out if the market share will have increased by the expected twenty percent in three years’ time. Consequently, any recorded value that will be below twenty percent will show that the organization has not been able to succeed in offering a high level of quality services to the community.
Another performance metric that can be used by Middleville Regional Healthcare in measuring its success in the provision of services to the community concerns the returns received on the capital. In this connection, it would be prudent if the organization raises its returns on capital by about twenty-five percent over a five-year period. The importance of this metric is based on the fact that it will allow the organization to be able to compare the healthcare services it is offering with those provided by the competitors before it identifies areas that need improvement. On this note, the appropriate way through which Middleville Regional Health Care will measure this performance is through finding out if there could be any profit that has been generated in the five-year period and if the changes in profit could lead to a twenty-five percent increase in returns on capital. If there will be an increase in profits, then it will indicate an increase in the number of patients who are visiting the hospital, which can only take place if the company is providing better quality healthcare services.
Another performance metric that Middleville Regional Healthcare can apply in measuring the level of quality of services it is offering to the community is linked to the people within the organization who have been tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the success of the strategies that have been formulated. It will be prudent if Middleville implements new strategies of motivation in helping to reduce the rate of employee turnover to less than five percent within a two-year period. The performance in this area should be critically important since employees can only be willing to remain in the organization if they feel motivated. Some of the best indicators of measurement are either having a constant number of those who are qualified as employees or a general increase in the number of employees, which is directly linked to the increase in the admissions, births, outpatient visits, as well as the census in the long run.
Areas That Middleville Need to Focus in Maintaining Its Competitiveness in Market Share as Provision of Services to the Community in the 21st Century
In reference to the provided statistics, the organization has 575 beds, 350 census, 13,000 admissions, 2,300 births, 221,000 out-patient visits, expenses that amount to 125,000 United States dollars, as well as 2,000 employees. If one was to compare with the two competitors Greystone and Brierfield, it is clear that Middleville has the biggest market share in almost all areas of consideration except in expenses and admissions. In ensuring that Middleville maintains its competitiveness in the market share, including continuing to offer healthcare services to the community in the twenty-first century, it must come up with a way of increasing the admissions numbers as well as minimizing expenses while maximizing on the profits it is making. Firstly, it would be prudent if the organization focuses on the aggressive marketing of its services, to make them known to the community.
Secondly, it is advisable that Middleville implements an information technology system that should be used in storing patient’s records, admissions, as well to maintain the financial records of the institution. For example, Electronic Health Records system can be implemented to assist in the storage of accurate patients’ data, which would be helpful in ensuring that all patients are offered services within the shortest time possible and by the right personnel. In this way, the organization will be able to keep accurate financial data and up-to-date inventories thus minimizing costs, avoiding unnecessary expenses and attracting huge profits.
Costs and Benefits in the Implementation of EMR and Other Health Data Systems
As noted above, it would be important if Middleville implements advanced technology systems as early as possible with the aim of competing with other players in the industry in the twenty-first century. In this case, it should be conversant with the cost as well as benefits that are connected to the implementation of the Electronic Medical Records as well as other data systems prior to starting the whole initiative. Implementation of EMR will assist physicians in keeping correct data about the conditions of their patients for easier and accurate retrieval in the next sessions. The application also helps in the reduction of duplication of diagnostic tests and expenses. Another benefit is the improvement of the quality of services.
However, it would be pivotal to be aware of the costs in the implementation process of EMR. Some of the main costs include the training and equipment costs. Although this is the case, the organization needs to realize that the successful implementation of the EMR will attract huge profits that will outweigh the cost of implementation. In this regard, the most suitable plan in the implementation of EMR would include analyzing and redesigning the workflow, modifying the facility with the aim of creating space, selecting and installing of hardware, configuring the software, developing a backup system, loading of old data regarding patients, transfer of patients’ information from paper to the EMR system, and finally training personnel in using the new system.
Promotion of Employees’ Satisfaction
It is worth pointing out that the process of retaining employees can be enhanced by applying effective motivation strategies ( McKeown, 2012). Provision of good compensation to employees is one way of promoting their level of satisfaction. Unfortunately, Middleville Regional Healthcare is unable to employ this strategy due to financial difficulties. For this reason, the HR needs to promote employees’ satisfaction by offering an opportunity for growth and development such as training. Further, it is advisable for the HR to enhance communication, which will be pivotal in building credibility among employees. The HR department and the HR manager should be ready to listen to the issues affecting employees and address them as amicably and quickly as possible. Accordingly, since the organization may not promote satisfaction through salary increases, it can retain employees by making them feel respected and valued (McKeown, 2012).
References
McKeown, J. L. (2002). Retaining top employees. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Nadler , S. B. ( 2004 ). Middleville Regional Healthcare Case Study . Burlington, Mass: Jones et
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Walker M.M. (2009). Leveraged Recapitalization. Operating Efficiency and Stakeholders
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