Introduction
Southeast Medical Center is a medical facility that not only deals with health complications but also acts as a venue for the training of physicians and other university students attending nursing programs. Since its construction, the facility has helped in saving many lives and training a number of medical practitioners. The following is a review of the institution’s information including recommendations.
History
The Southeast Medical Center (SMC), established in the 1920s, is a hospital that has undergone a transition over the years. This has seen it register tremendous expansion and increase of its bed capacity from 250 to over 600 beds. After an affiliation with the College of Medicine of a local institution of higher education, the institution advanced to become an unrestricted academic health center. As a result of this advancement, it began offering specialized patient care, research, and teaching.
Since its conception, SMC has shifted its management a number of times. Initially, the hospital was run by a hospital board until the 1940s when the city of Southeast was given the mandate to govern it. This, however, lasted only up to sometime in the 1980s when a public authority was formed by the state administration to take over. The status quo remained until later in 1990 when the institution’s board of trustees made a decision to hand over managerial power to a private firm that was not a profit-making organization.
Presently, SMC is a completely private non-profit academic health facility. Additionally, the institution operates as a teaching venue used by the local university. Today, many university-affiliated and lone physicians that attend the residency programs through local universities train in the hospital. Subsequently, the hospital is also used by other community colleges and universities as a clinical site for their nursing programs.
Since SMC is an academic health center, it has a wide range of activities related to medical research, training, and patient treatment and care. As it provides explicit patient care for an overwhelming 40% of poor patients in the nation, SMC has for a long time struggled to attain a respectable niche in the healthcare environment. It has since managed its way to the helm of the very competitive market of healthcare provision.
The incorporation of training, research, and patient treatment in a facility result in very expensive clinical operations. Nevertheless, this is completely incompatible with the high demand for relatively cheap medication in the current market. Expensive clinical services have shifted clients to other facilities like community hospitals and private medical facilities where services are cheaper. This is detrimental to SMC.
Managerial implications
It is hard to tell the root cause of the issues and problems that emanate from SMC. One cannot tell whether these issues arise as a result of unidirectional strategies or poor leadership. Instead of pointing fingers as the systems go to the drains, it is imperative that critical assessments are done to restore normalcy. It is important to determine what kind of networks, systems, and collaborations are suitable for the deliverance of quality and cheap healthcare.
Recommendations
Some recommendations have since been proposed to help in damage control in SMC. Amongst the numerous suggestions, some are outstanding and easily applicable to the institution. These include;
- A detailed mission statement that enhances cohesiveness should be developed by every system.
A good mission statement portrays the sole purpose of a medical institution. Additionally, it not only vivifies the vision and goal of an establishment but also provides insight into the intentions of the institution (Brown, 1992). In order to bring back SMC on track, it is vital that comprehensive mission statements are formulated. Once this is done, the statements can be embedded in newsletters, brochures, and other print materials for the institution. They can also be placed on the official website of the facility and be made public on special occasions and events (Brown, 1992).
- It is important that the systems give both informal and formal education to those charged with the responsibility of governing the facility at all hierarchies.
This is important in giving orientation to governors from the topmost hierarchy down to the least. Additionally, education also helps in ensuring that all company executions done by members at the helm of management are in line with company policies and interests. This not only safeguards company interests but also makes sure that company policies are not infringed through whatever means (Niles, 2011).
- Under no circumstances should the systems hire services from elsewhere unless they are similar in temperament with current goals, cultures, values, and mission. This may also happen under the condition that the contracted services add value to customers.
Contracted services may compromise the standards of a facility. This is because such services are provided by totally different companies that may have varied interests to those of SMC. As if that is not enough, independent service providers may also restrain the company employees from executing their duties. As a result, it is of utmost importance that SMC carries out its obligations without contracted assistance. However, the company might consider hiring contracted labor when it is absolutely necessary (Niles, 2011).
Conclusion
From the above recommendations, SMC is able to recoup its losses and shine just like it is supposed to. It is upon the governors to apply drastic measures in order to see the facility through such tricky situations. This will play an important role in bringing back the almost-lost spirit.
References
Brown, M. (1992). Health care management: Strategy, structure, and process. Gaithersburg, MA: Aspen Publishers.
Niles, N. J. (2011). Basics of the U.S. health care system. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.