Several similarities exist between the textbook concepts and the Baldridge criteria on the operation focus. Both works of literature emphasize the organization’s need to manage its resources to meet the patient, suppliers, contractors, and other collaborators’ expectations in delivering healthcare services. According to Schulingkamp and Latham (2015), “the advantage of better management of external and internal resources is necessary for providing healthcare services” as it is vital for the organization’s success (p. 98). For effective continuous management of projects, healthcare organizations need to align their goals with the available resources. Adequate assessment of the external environment is widely acknowledged in both texts.
On the other hand, differences are seen in the textbook and Baldridge criteria. In the textbook, leaders’ roles and a well-articulated mission and vision in achieving the organization’s goals are emphasized. On the contrary, Schulingkamp and Latham (2015) argued that Baldridge’s criteria stress the need to “utilize performance improvement tools to deliver services effectively” (p. 304). The textbook promotes the Dashboard tool and the Balanced Scorecard for monitoring an organization’s performance. In contrast, Harrison (2016) indicated that Baldridge suggests utilizing the “Six Sigma, Lean Enterprise System, and Plan Check Do Act methods” (p. 113). However, Baldridge’s criteria show the healthcare organization’s central place as a first responder for emergencies occurring in the community, unlike the textbook.
Healthcare organizations need to do a practical analysis of the available resources to attain their goals. According to Harrison (2016), strategic planning of the organization also entails creating a mission and vision that “portrays the organization’s aspirations, including the ways to achieve these objectives” (p. 108) The external and internal environment analysis with continuous monitoring for improvement with the necessary tools is also required for the organization’s success in providing services to patients, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
References
Harrison, J. P. (2016). Essentials of strategic planning in healthcare (2nd ed.). Health Administration Press.
Schulingkamp, R. C., & Latham, J. R. (2015). Healthcare performance excellence: A comparison of Baldrige award recipients and competitors.Quality Management Journal, 22(3), 6-22.