Introduction
Banner health was started as a nonprofit healthcare provider based in Phoenix Arizona in the United States. The institution was established in the year 1999. It has 23 hospitals, 4330 beds and 35000 employees (Banner Health, 2013). Banner health provides emergency care, hospital care, long term home care, outpatient surgeries, laboratory services, rehab services and pharmaceutical services. Banner Health also operates the Banner MediSun which is a medical insurance plan (Banner Health, 2013).
Banner health hospitals are mostly located in big cities and towns, thus they target the populations residing in the large cities. The institute is well staffed with professional dedicated staff members. The various staff members include doctors, nurses, physicians and pharmacists among other medical professionals. The employees are responsible for, and committed to, providing quality healthcare services.
Although banner health operates as a healthcare facility, physical fitness and nutrition is very essential in improving the overall health condition of an individual. Physical fitness is important in enhancing the physical appearance, athletic performance and the wellbeing of the individual, and in improving the overall quality of life. The benefits of physical fitness include increased energy, increased mental focus, increased strength and stamina and decreased stress levels (Jackson, 2009). Physical fitness is also important because it decreases the chances of getting heart related complications, and also reduces the chances of getting breast cancer. Physical fitness is, therefore, an essential requirement in health and health care provision (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2010; Jackson, 2009).
Banner health is strategically located in large towns and cities where the population is mostly made up of young and middle aged generations. These generations are interested in taking care of their overall wellbeing, thus the introduction of a physical fitness and nutrition program is likely to attract a large part of this group. With consideration the above factors, a physical and fitness program will be introduced at all the banner health hospitals.
The purpose of the program or project
Banner health as a non- profit making body aims at providing quality and excellent health care to the public, and making a difference while doing that. The introduction of a nutrition health and fitness program at banner health will play a huge role in enhancing the provision of quality healthcare services. The health and fitness programs will help in improving the overall fitness of the patients, and will lead to the expansion of the hospital in to other regions. The creation of a physical fitness program will also be essential in creating new employment opportunities for the surrounding community members (Malhotra, 2009).
The target audience of the project
This project will require the construction of a gym and fitness center. The center will be equipped with training facilities. As stated above, Banner health centers are strategically located in large cities and towns where the populations are high. The fitness programs will attract numerous populations such as patients suffering from heart related complications and those with illnesses like diabetes which requires them to be physically fit. Most of the people targeted as being interested in fitness activities include the young and middle aged population. The fitness program will also attract people interested in losing weight and improving their body metabolism.
Benefits of the program or project
The introduction of the fitness program will be essential in the creation of more employment opportunities. The job opportunities that will be created will include those of nutritionists and fitness instructors among others. The introduction of the fitness program will help in attracting larger numbers of patients requiring the services, and in turn increase the revenue of the hospital. This will also lead to the expansion of the hospital to more regions due to the growing demand for nutrition and fitness services (Ransom 2008). The fitness program will also help in increasing the competence of the hospitals’ staff in delivering quality healthcare services.
Methods of evaluating and implementing the project
The main aim of this program is to ensure that quality healthcare services are provided. In order to achieve a successful project that will yield the expected results, clearly laid out procedures on the implementation of the project will be required. Before the start of the project, the management will involve an evaluation team to carry out market surveys to determine the market demand for the services to be introduced. The survey will also be used to determine other factors like the population of the people around the area as well as their health conditions. This will be important in determining the viability of the project.
The results of this survey will then be submitted to the management to determine whether the project will be continued or stalled depending on the results of the survey. If the results of the survey are positive, the management will approve the continuation of the project, and will go ahead to the actual implementation of the project. Implementation will take place after all the required resources for the project have been provided. This stage will include the actual construction of the facility, purchase and installation of the required equipment.
As part of the implementation process, advertising the new services will be important in attracting new members as well as promoting other services offered at the hospitals. Advertising is an important means of ensuring that consumers are made aware of products and services being offered. It also aims at increasing the number of new clients accessing the offered services. The success of this project will be determined by the number of members attending the program.
Budget of the project
If the project is approved by the management, resources required for the project implementation will be provided. The expenses that will be incurred in implementing the project for the construction of a fitness facility will include various costs that are as below;
- Construction costs – these are the funds that will be required for the construction of the gym and the purchase of the building materials.
- Equipment costs – these will be the funds required for purchasing and installing the training facilities in the gym.
- Staff hiring costs – banner health will require employing professional qualified staff to run the training facility. The staff required will include gym instructors and nutritionists among others. These staff members will play a role in enhancing the provision of quality services (Malhotra 2009).
Conclusion
The case study on banner health includes the services offered at the hospitals and the introduction of a new physical fitness program that will increase the quality of the services offered at the hospitals. The implementation of the program will require the involvement of the management. Effective management and cooperation will help determine the success of the program (Malhotra 2009).
References
Banner Health. (2013). About Us.
Buchbinder, S. & Shanks, N. (2010). Introduction to Health Care Management. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Jackson, A. (2009). Physical Activity for Health and Fitness. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics Physical.
Malhotra, A. (2009). Hospital management. Daryaganj: Global India Publications.
Ransom, E. (2008). The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy, and Tools. Chicago: Health Administration Press.