Elizabeth Harris is an executive director for a center that specializes in providing services to the uninsured segment of the population. This center is called Foundation health Care Center. Mrs. Harris is a trained nurse possessing a master’s degree in Health Administration. She is in charge of a team composed of seven employees excluding the medical director.
Mrs. Harris elaborated that she gives equal treatment to all her workers without any form of favoritism. In addition, she treats all patients in the same manner even though she acknowledges the challenges faced when dealing with those patients with a low level of education and as such, she says the most basic of communication techniques should be used in handling such patients. Mrs. Harris reiterated the importance of taking to heart the eight attributes of management when handling day-to-day affairs.
Consequently, she emphasized the application of these eight attributes in managerial roles. Mrs. Harris elaborated the ways in which they run their systems at the center. She mentioned that they utilize checks and balance system in addressing errors and mistakes at the center. The medical director does tracking and fixing of the identified mistakes, by utilizing checking charts. Since the center does not have modern technological systems, mistakes are usually discovered vey late. Mrs. Barry elaborated that patient follow is carried out for provision of adequate care to this segment of the society.
Mrs. Harris stated that it comes a time when one has to say NO to both the patients and colleagues to facilitate provision of quality care to all. She is optimistic that the center will soon be a paperless organization with acquisition of computers and other hardware despite the lack of money. She says that if resources were available she would strive to improve the working conditions of the staff by acquiring more space to ensure providence of quality service.
I learned from Mrs. Harris that to be an effective manager, one sometimes engages in chores that have no financial remuneration in order to extend a hand of help to others. In addition, we should as managers cultivate the culture of professionalism in dealing with all members of the society. Patients with low levels of education should be handled with care and allowed to express themselves in their own words for them to be understood.