Healthcare Plan - Strategic Management
Strategic Management
Jessica N Mitchell
Hodges University
Introduction
The healthcare industry is currently going through many changes in how it conducts its daily activities. The beginning of a national healthcare system in the United States means that many employees who did not have the capability to have a health insurance will not get covers. Also businesses will be able to provide health insurance for their employees. As these employees’ access health insurances, this will lead to an amplified demand for primary care doctors, nurse practitioners and healthcare professionals. Therefore, this will require the healthcare industry to conduct its business strategically which will lead it through strategic management.
Strategic Management
Strategic management in healthcare organizations refers to the progressive arrangement, monitoring, exploration and assessment that are essential to successfully meet its goals (Swayne, Duncan & Ginter, 2008). Strategic actions and decisions are important as they help determine the long-run performance of an organization and needs endless monitoring for exterior changes, chances and threats. Strategic management involves an environmental analysis which helps an organization understand its current position. Healthcare organizations operate in a dynamic environment whose change is unpredictable therefore generating many encounters for healthcare providers to convey and uphold the quality of healthcare services delivered. Healthcare organizations that implement strategic processes are more successful than those that do not implement them. Through strategic management, healthcare organizations can benefit from the opportunities available to offer clear, support, commitment, resources and purpose and main the operations of the business smoothly (Swayne, Duncan & Ginter, 2008). Also, strategic management helps healthcare organizations create new goals to bring in important changes in compliance with the exterior controlling needs and maintain patient satisfaction at the uppermost level. These benefits make strategic management a significant element for healthcare organizations to maintain and sustain smooth business operations.
Strategic Thinking
In healthcare, nurse practitioners and healthcare professionals comprise of many aspects. These aspects include diligence, communication, unwavering in their standards of professionalism, detailed-oriented, empathetic and should be strategic and quick thinkers. Whether dealing with patients, improving the logistics of their workplace or confirming is their ideas focus on their goals, healthcare professionals should be strategic thinkers in nature. Strategic thinking leads to strategic planning. When starting the strategic thinking process in healthcare, it is important to uphold a forward-looking, nimble mindset and not depend on reversion analysis of what has worked previously. While the goals are to provide the most efficient, effective and low-cost healthcare services to people will always be the same, the environment surrounding these goals are continually in change. Therefore, strategic thinking must be implemented to make strategic plans that are adaptive, agile and receptive to change. Strategic thinking emphasizes on engagement and diversity of thought. The most significant resource an organization has during processes of strategic planning is its employees. In healthcare organizations, the most significant way to get nurse practitioners and healthcare professionals engaged in strategic thinking processes is by incorporating their ideas, opinions and concerns. This will always ensure that the final product with have equity or will input the ideas and thoughts of various people. This will result to great respect among nurse practitioners and healthcare professionals. Engaging employees in strategic thinking gives them the opportunity to showcase their ability to work outside their personal understanding and collaborate with others.
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning in hospitals is important as it helps them respond quickly to changes and trends that occur in the external environment. The advantages of strategic planning in healthcare are plentiful since it has many components. Like most business, healthcare organizations operate at many levels from caring for patients to financing. This means that they need to plan for their future in many ways. The benefit of strategic planning in healthcare is also evident when looking at the productivity of an organization (Zuckerman, 2012). Strategic planning ensures clarity amongst chaos. An effectively planned and executed strategic plan can provide required clarity among chaos in an organization. It should express the important strategic issues and provide a direction to the vision of the organization for its future as well as a plan to get there. This gives employees the confidence they require to make emotions, psychological and financial pledges to the organization which increases the work productivity and the levels of assignation in the workplace. Strategic planning also ensures organizational collaboration which is important in delivering high quality patient care and boosts the performance of the organization (Zuckerman, 2012). Employees must work with the same plan and towards a similar direction. Working in teams is important for healthcare organizations to boost their performance in critical areas of operation. A strategic plan is a powerful tool that promotes organizational collaboration.