Healthcare services are becoming necessities to residents in rural areas due to exposure to different diseases. However, several challenges of access and cost have hindered the provision of services by hospitals. Okeene Municipal Hospital (OMH) in Blaine County has decided to open a satellite clinic which will be a part of a strategic initiative for the hospital's annual strategic management planning process (Duarte, Goodson & Dougherty, 2014) . To determine the feasibility of satellite initiative, a SWOT analysis is recommended to look at the various aspects of the hospital. Understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats will help in providing insights into how the hospital is doing and the necessary changes that should be considered in the initiative.
Strengths
Determining the strengths of OMH is vital in making the strategic plan achievable. OMH has been offering services to the residents of Blaine Country and the surrounding areas for over 60 years and has received several awards for their quality services (OMH Health Need Assessment, 2018) . This is a strength since several awards, including the Performance Leadership Award of 2016 and 2018 Hospital Quality Improvement Award, shows that the hospital has been offering the best services to the people. OMH has an excellent leadership system, which is committed to using effective management strategies to improve the quality of care provided to the patients (OMH Health Need Assessment, 2018) . The fact that OMH has an extremely low medical malpractice claims indicate that the hospital has been following the highest standards of safety and work procedures.
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Focusing on the creation of a healthy lifestyle is another strength of OMH that is a part of its mission statement. The hospital also works collaboratively with the physicians to provide different services including, rehabilitation, occupational therapy, acute care, laboratory, cardiac monitoring, cardiac care, pediatric care, senior life solutions, and many others (OMH Health Need Assessment, 2018) . The medical services will provide the proposed satellite clinic with better examples to follow during the delivery of services. The positive reputation of OMH in Oklahoma shows that the hospital has a higher potential of achieving the goals set for implementation of the satellite clinic with the help of communities around the region.
Weaknesses
Despite the significant strengths, OMH has several weaknesses that can be a hindrance to the completion of the project. The hospital has been having difficulties in retaining and attracting healthcare providers (Duarte, Goodson & Dougherty, 2014) . This shows that there is a shortage of staff in several hospital departments, most importantly, the primary care department. The national shortage of healthcare professionals makes the situation more challenging since OMH is located in a rural area (City-Data, 2019). The hospital is also small, with only 17 beds and in case of any tragedy; the hospital cannot accommodate the large population of Blaine County. The depressed local economy is another weakness that directly weakens the hospital (NRHA, 2019). The low economy of the region makes it difficult for the hospital to support its revenues and expand.
Opportunities
Several opportunities can help open up the satellite clinic. Rural communities have federally based organizations that can help in the provision of funds for expanding the satellite clinic (NRHA, 2019). Technological advancements especially the e-visits are other opportunities that should be considered when opening up the clinic. Utilizing the available technology can help increase market sharing; the number of patient visits and provides more options to the community. With PPACA expanding Medicaid benefits to more people, OMH is likely to have increased revenue even with a lower reimbursement rate (Duarte, Goodson & Dougherty, 2014). Considering the initiative being an opportunity, the needs of Blaine County is likely to increase with the development of a satellite clinic. This will increase the number of patients visiting the hospital and increase the number of people covered with the healthcare reform.
Threats
Different external forces threaten every hospital, including OMH. The average income of Blaine County, which is approximately $34,517 annually, poses a significant threat to OMH (Data USA, 2019). The ability of the hospital to have a sufficient budget is threatened by the lack of means to cover the healthcare costs. During most times, hospitals can absorb the costs of care, especially when individuals are not able to meet the payments. It is riskier for the hospital when the average population of the county has a higher rate of lower-income earners. The strictness of CMS regulations is another threat that most rural healthcare clinics are facing (Duarte, Goodson & Dougherty, 2014). For any healthcare organization to be reimbursed by Medicaid and Medicare, the CMS rules must be followed. The growth of chronic diseases is also a major threat faced by OMH and can hinder the initiative of opening up a satellite clinic (City-Data, 2019). With the increase of chronic diseases, an update to the management model is needed. The management model is likely to cause many difficulties during operations.
In conclusion, a SWOT analysis is vital, considering OMH's initiative of opening up a satellite clinic. The analysis can be used in seeking out the areas that need improvements and different ways of overcoming potential threats. The hospital's potential opportunities will be advantageous if the hospital finds ways of acting on them. Furthermore, the strengths can be used to open up new ideas to help in promoting the initiative and positive changes in the hospital. The SWOT analysis can lead to positive outcomes if OMH uses it correctly. Therefore, it is crucial for OMH to consider its opportunities and strengths and find the most effective ways of overcoming the threats and weakness, to achieve its strategic initiative.
References
City-Data. (2019). Blaine County, Oklahoma, detailed profile - houses, real estate, cost of living, wages, work, agriculture, ancestries, and more. Retrieved 30 August 2019, from http://www.city-data.com/county/Blaine_County-OK.html
Data USA. (2019). Blaine County, OK | Data USA. Retrieved 30 August 2019, from https://datausa.io/profile/geo/blaine-county-ok
Duarte, N. T., Goodson, J. R., & Dougherty, T. M. P. (2014). Managing innovation in hospitals and health systems: Lessons from the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Winners. International Journal of Healthcare Management , 7 (1), 21-34.
NRHA. (2019). About NRHA - NRHA. Retrieved 30 August 2019, from https://www.ruralhealthweb.org/about-nrha
Okeene Municipal Hospital Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Strategy. (2018). Retrieved 30 August 2019, from https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/7c9b4c_fa5bcd1bdbce428ca3337913d819b755.pdf
