Organizational culture is one of the most important components contributing to the competitiveness of any organization, including the ones involved in the provision of healthcare services. Banner Health is a network of several nonprofit secular healthcare organizations that operate in seven US states and employs over 48,000 people (Kash, 2017). The network is comprised of 29 acute healthcare facilities that provide services in such areas as primary care, emergency care, laboratory, rehabilitation, and pharmacies. This health system is based in Arizona where it is most actively involved in the development and implementation of numerous initiatives and programs. Banner has quite a strong organizational culture, but the changing medical environment and demographic peculiarities of the population may require certain transformations. This paper includes a brief description of current issues to be solved, a strategic plan to address these challenges, and the most appropriate models for the new strategy implementation.
Banner Health’s vision involves the focus on innovation and clinical excellence, ensuring properly coordinated patient care and the development of its staff (“Banner Health,” 2019). The network under analysis is involved in various projects that are associated with innovation, training, and quality improvement. For instance, Banner entered a partnership with the University of Arizona in 2015 (Cairns, Bollinger, & Garcia, 2017). This incentive targets their brand’s increased visibility, the launch of new healthcare strategies and competencies, educational programs, public health initiatives, and compensation projects. However, such programs could be more effective and numerous if Banner Health incorporated this collaboration into its culture. These initiatives are seen as effective partnerships but should be regarded as specific measures undertaken to achieve the set organizational goals.
Banner Health is quite prepared for addressing upcoming issues associated with the aging population, a growing number of patients, medical staff shortages, and limited resources. However, it is still possible to improve the current situation by implementing a new strategic plan. Some of the most burning issues of the next decade will be the increase in the workload and the lack of funding. The US healthcare system cannot be characterized by stability at present as the reforms that were launched by Barack Obama are now altered by the administration of President Trump. The lack of stability results in uncertainty that may harm the development of the healthcare system as well as the functioning healthcare facilities. Banner Health manages to operate within the scope of the current regulations, but more clarity is needed (Kuhn & Lehn, 2015). The network is rather vulnerable to economic changes in the country as well, so it is essential to search for sources of funding.
This strategic paradigm will include the network’s participation in partnerships and mergers that will lead to more effective resource management and network growth. It is advisable to continue collaborating with educational facilities in various areas, including apprenticeship, on-the-job training, and research. Although the focus should be on community-based interactions, it can be effective to enter partnerships with nationwide systems and networks. In addition, Banner should examine its employees’ commitment and satisfaction, its patients’ outcomes, and the level of their satisfaction. This research will be instrumental in identifying the existing gaps in performance, as well as organizational culture. The findings will become the basis for quality improvement initiatives and various changes that will be needed. The involvement in diverse community-based incentives aimed at addressing public health concerns and raising people’s awareness of the most urgent issues is also necessary. The network can combine its efforts concerning its brands’ promotion with the enhancement of the organizational outcomes through effective work in the community.
To implement the suggested strategic plan, it is possible to utilize 5P’s model developed in the 2010s. Pryor and colleagues created a conceptual framework that implied the integration and alignment of the successful strategy implementation (Hourani, 2017). The 5Ps include purpose, principles, processes, people, and performance, which are also key components of the functioning of any organization. When developing and implementing a new strategic paradigm, leaders concentrate on these variables and manage to ensure employees’ commitment to the set objectives and the alignment of all the processes and procedures with organizational values. In the case under analysis, it is important to pay specific attention to procedures and functions that will undergo certain transformations. This model is the most suitable as it is comprehensive and aimed at quality improvement. All processes and people’s choices can be aligned with the established culture, which will contribute to its strengthening.
As mentioned above, Banner Health has rather a strong organizational culture. The employed medical staff shows a significant adherence to the vision, mission, and values (“Banner Health,” 2019). However, the ever-growing workload can have a substantial negative effect on the organizational culture, the implementation of the new strategic plan, and employees’ satisfaction. The increase in the number of patients will leave less time for medical staff development and their involvement in numerous incentives regarding their development, training, and participation in research. People will be less motivated to participate and remain committed to the established goals, so the current organizational culture may be affected.
It is also noteworthy that the existing organizational culture has a flaw that can lead to the considerable deterioration of the provided services. Banner Health does not integrate the community into its culture, which can potentially lead to issues related to patient outcomes and satisfaction. Collaboration with organizations and individuals should be an important component of organizational culture as Banner aims at improving public health. Nevertheless, associated values are not properly outlined, which makes them unclear and invisible for the employees. Banner’s CEO, Peter S. Fine, emphasizes that transparency and visibility of all functions, as well as flaws, are critical for achieving high performance (Kash, 2016). Hence, this aspect of the organizational culture should be enhanced.
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that Banner Health is a network of healthcare organizations aimed at improving public health through professional excellence and improved patient experience. The network has a strong organizational culture but it can be strengthened by paying more attention to community-based projects. It is important to involve the community concentrating on raising people’s awareness on numerous health-related issues and other relevant aspects. The banner should also try to develop viable strategies to address upcoming problems, including the lack of resources and increased workload. The latter problem can have a substantial negative effect on the network’s performance as it can minimize the effectiveness of the established organizational culture. At that, Banner Health is likely to remain one of the leading networks in the region or even beyond as it manages to ensure its employees’ commitment to the established objectives and values.
References
Banner Health. (2019). Web.
Cairns, C. B., Bollinger, K., & Garcia, J. (2017). A transformative approach to academic medicine. Academic Medicine, 92(1), 20-22. Web.
Hourani, M. (2017). Conceptual frameworks for strategy implementation: A literature review. Journal of Management Research, 9(3), 12-30. Web.
Kash, B. A. (2017). Interview with Peter S. Fine, FACHE, President and CEO of Banner Health. Journal of Healthcare Management, 61(2), 81-85.
Kuhn, B., & Lehn, C. (2015). Value-based reimbursement: The Banner Health Network experience. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 32(2), 17-31.