Coastal Medical Center (CMC) is a big hospital providing various healthcare services for the population of the Sun Belt. It is in charge of a coastal town and three counties with a population of almost one million people (Harrison, 2016). The company has been observing some problems and losing profits. However, with the new CEO CMC has ambitious plans. The company is planning to create a joined venture with physicians and to build an ambulatory surgery center. Its creation would enable operations that do not require overnight hospitalization. Nevertheless, all the risks should be considered.
First of all, it is necessary to evaluate the feasibility of the ambulatory surgical center (ASC) for CMC. Since the company is observing certain difficulties in various spheres, their solution should become the primary concern of a new CEO. Strategic planning and management should be introduced. The managers involved in the reorganizational process should be aware that strategic management can be applied “at different levels” (Moseley, 2017). These levels include all branches of management, from top managers to the workers. Besides, it may be useful to apply SWOT analysis which is the examination of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and the perspectives for development. Firstly, demographics and social demands should be studied. Since the community under consideration is young and growing, there is a need for reliable healthcare providers. Ambulatory surgery centers may become popular due to demographics factors. Since the number of people under 44 (which makes the most productive working force) has grown, the citizens may not want to stay at the hospital for a long time; they would prefer a quick return to their work. Thus, ambulatory surgery will be useful for them. The social environment of the area may be considered favorable.
The political environment should also be regarded. One of its aspects is tax subsidies. They can be acquired, for example, if some operations monthly or quarterly will be provided for free, as a charity. Since the company does not produce any harmful effects on the environment, there should not be a problem with zoning. Finally, licensing must not be an obstacle to ASC creation due to the experience that the hospital and its management have in the field of healthcare.
The plan of ASC may be feasible in case the company changes its strategy. The current problems may have an adverse influence on the healthcare business plan implementation. However, the stuff should become the primary concern. Well-trained specialists are crucial for such initiatives. They should be prepared to work with new equipment. In case the future stuff off the new center has no suitable qualifications, the training should be organized by the company.
The care of the future ASC will be provided at the regional level since the area includes three counties. The changes in the management are necessary to run a hospital and a new center simultaneously. Considering the current problems in the management, it is crucial to change the personnel or provide their training. The troubling issues such as material management should be taken into account with a new center. The number of charity operations should be planned and agreed with the local authorities. It could be done, for example, in exchange for some tax subsidies.
One more aspect of analyzing is the threats and factors that can have a negative influence on the work of a center. The threats include economic and political instability which result in the reduction of paying ability. Another problem may be the increase in demand for expensive medical technology. However, these technologies may be not cost-effective and just increase state and federal budget deficits.
At the present stage of healthcare development, the implementation of information technologies is the demand of the time. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provides the standard electronic framework for electronic claims submission (Harrison, 2016). The staff of ASC should be carefully selected. It would be useful to consider the mistakes of the hospital and make the necessary changes. They should include the reduction of managerial positions. Besides, the improvement of different races and both gender’s representation is needed to increase the level of patients’ trust.
The provision of quality control should also be the primary concern. It may be assessed due to patient medical delivery quality protocols. The use of the protocols enables the health care provider to evaluate the level of treatment and get feedback. In its turn, it will encourage further improvements. The progress of a hospital or a center is crucial if the organization plans to be competitive in the healthcare environment. The economic aspect should not be left aside is the provides plans to have some profit.
On the whole, strategic planning is a complex process. It includes aspects of evaluation, analysis of previous experiences, and organization of a new activity considering the mistakes. Careful planning and forecasting of the possible results are the sign of a professional.
References
Harrison, J.P. (2016). Essentials of strategic planning management. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Moseley, G.B. (2017). Managing health care business strategy. Burlington, MA: Jones & Barlett Learning.