Introduction
Healthcare remains a constantly evolving discipline that adapts to the emerging challenges of each stage of society’s development. In this regard, the related organizations are expected to demonstrate a similar growth capacity to meet the changing needs of their communities. In the 21st century, the work of healthcare organizations extends beyond the mere provision of medical services. This age is characterized by the increasing importance of several significant phenomena. First, this is a time of unprecedented technological progress permeating all spheres of human activity. Healthcare organizations are not an exception, meaning they should utilize progress benefits to serve their communities more efficiently. Next, the prevalence of technology facilitates the exchange of information, communication, and transportation. Thus, it becomes easier for healthcare organizations to expand their networks and provide services within a uniform paradigm. However, these paradigms risk inheriting the flaws of the entire system, which is why it is essential to conduct thorough analyses of organizations. This paper focuses on Kaiser Permanente (KP) as one of the leading healthcare providers on the West Coast.
Kaiser Permanente Overview
KP has decades of history in the sphere of healthcare provision. The company was launched in the year 1945 and saw a steady growth since then. Currently, KP’s network includes a range of facilities that mainly encompass the United States West Coast. However, it maintains a certain presence in other states, namely Colorado, Hawaii, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Currently, K.P. (2021) remains one of “America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans” (para. 1). The range of the networks is extensive, comprising 12.5 million people. K.P. focuses on the concept of total health, which is why it proposes various services to the population of the states in which it operates. The company’s statement relies on the nexus of its team’s professional expertise and state-of-the-art technological solutions (K.P., 2021). The company expects innovations, education, and clinical research to be the primary driving force of high standards of care. This level of quality is embedded in Kaiser Permanente’s mission, which is centered around the communities it proudly serves.
Kaiser Permanente’s Readiness
The upcoming decades will further extend the influence of the currently observed trends, namely globalization and increasing technological superiority. At the same time, another significant component of modern healthcare is the growing emphasis on patients’ individuality and needs. Based on the current observations, this tendency is only projected to increase shortly. This combination will likely create new challenges, which Kaiser Permanente will need to respond to effectively. Currently, the company is one of the most successful organizations of its kind in the United States. Its mission is to serve the communities that put their trust and money in K.P.’s services. The reported reliance on technology is highly beneficial in this regard, as the high quality of care is inseparable from new, advanced solutions. However, the status of nurses in this paradigm remains uncertain. Their role may be highly underappreciated within this paradigm, which is a matter to be addressed strategically. Overall, K.P.’s preparedness is commendable in some respects, but the role of nurses in the upcoming transformations needs to be enhanced.
Strategic Plan for Kaiser Permanente
In order to face the emerging challenges of the upcoming years and comply with the rising standards of care, Kaiser Permanent will have to implement a new strategic plan. It appears vital to make nurses, namely nursing leaders, an integral component of this initiative. Cummings et al. (2021) state that nursing leadership has become a matter of pivotal importance in the contemporary healthcare setting. The current body of knowledge reflects the positive impact of this principle on the quality of care. Murray et al. (2017) concur with the idea, adding that nursing leadership is strongly associated with patient safety and satisfaction. These professionals possess the required expertise to evaluate the needs of patients and promote individual, person-centered approaches to medical services. Thus, an increased emphasis on nursing leaders’ education and their extended role in the decision-making process will form the core of the strategic development plan of Kaiser Permanente. The idea is to make nurses part of all the key committees and boards within the organization, utilizing their expertise to enhance the quality of the services.
Kaiser Permanente’s Issues
Implementing an effective strategy to meet the standards of the future risks facing severe obstacles on the path to success. The critical issue that K.P. may encounter is closely related to the necessity of up-to-date education for all professionals involved in care delivery. More specifically, relying on advanced technology will yield good benefits without the teams’ ability to utilize it. Human resources must remain in line with the technological capacity of the organization. Otherwise, Kaiser Permanente will not be able to reach its full potential. The discrepancies between education and technology are likely to impact such vital factors as patient safety and satisfaction negatively. It appears possible that the more significant role of nursing leaders can mitigate the effect of these issues, thus facilitating the implementation of the strategic plan.
Model
Within the proposed strategic plan framework, it is logical to incorporate the postulates of effective 21st-century leadership into the envisaged procedures. The prominent models of it can be applied in the clinical environment, but the particularities of the setting and its challenges are to be considered. Based on the research provided by Xu (2017), the changeable nature of the healthcare paradigm requires a transformational solid capacity of the system and all its elements. In this regard, the envisaged strategic plan will benefit from an extended role of transformational nursing leadership. This model relies on the principle of shared values and a strategic vision that allows all unit members to stay aligned. Transformational leadership operates on a higher level than everyday tasks and objectives. Instead, it is a good fit for strategic initiatives that will bring Kaiser Permanente closer to sustained excellence in the upcoming decades. Therefore, this theory will support the positive development within this organization.
Conclusion
Overall, Kaiser Permanente remains the leading healthcare network across the West Coast and several other states. The organization refers to high standards of care that provide patients with advanced safe services as its primary mission in the current environment. However, the emerging challenges of the century will likely become severe threats to the organization’s position. Therefore, K.P. must undergo strategic transformations to help it adapt to the new reality. As such, nursing leaders can enable positive changes within the network. Their insight will prove instrumental to developing better, person-centered practices of tomorrow that will maintain the success seen by K.P. today.
References
Cummings, G. G., Lee, S., Tate, K., Penconek, T., Micaroni, S. P. M., Paananen, T., & Chatterjee, G. E. (2021). The essentials of nursing leadership: A systematic review of factors and educational interventions influencing nursing leadership.International Journal of Nursing Studies, 115, 103842.
Kaiser Permanente (K.P.). (2021). Who we are.
Murray, M., Sundin, D., & Cope, V. (2017). The nexus of nursing leadership and a culture of safer patient care.Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(5-6), 1287–1293.
Xu, J. H. (2017). Leadership theory in clinical practice.Chinese Nursing Research, 4(4), 155–157.