Strategic Planning in Complex Organizations - Essay Example

? Strategic Planning in Complex Organizations Affiliation: Discussion Question One:Strategic Trends in the Health Care Environment The health care environment has exhibited diverse and dynamic trends that cut across social, economic, and political divides. The idea is to make health care services more efficient and affordable, thereby meeting healthcare needs of all stakeholders in the health sector. Organizations in the health sector are also working relentlessly to ensure that market demands are met, alongside pursuing the set organizational goals and objectives (Harrison, 2010). To realize the desired outcome that accounts for the interests of all stakeholders in the health sector, strategic trends in the health care environment are highly characterized by operational changes. One of the strategic trends observed in the health care environment is the persistent bid to make healthcare services more affordable, and subsequently enhance universal coverage. This trend is consistent with the social, economic, and political goal of improving the social welfare of the disadvantaged population. Another strategic trend relates to increased number of public and private health care operators. The motive is to implement strategic plans that make it possible for health care organizations to take their services closer to the people. Over and above this, government regulation of health care organizations, health care financiers, and all other relevant parties involved constitute a critical strategic trend in health care markets (Harrison, 2010). This move is valid in the sense that the end-user or the consumer remains protected from exploitation as the health care sector grows and expands. While health care organizations have been quick to identify emerging opportunities in the health sector, most of them do not utilize their full potential. In other words, operational inefficiency has not been fully accounted for. Health care organizations need to focus on short term and long term strategic plans as they evaluate their performance from time to time. This would help them align their operations in a way that provides for organizational change without necessarily increasing operational costs. Final Project Proposal: Strategic Plan for a Residential and Day Treatment Facility for Individuals with Mental Illness and/or Mental Retardation Background The growth and development of healthcare facilities has been enormous over the years, and societies across the globe has benefited from this trend. Health complications also keep changing, making it necessary for health care operators to keep at par with changes in the health care environment. Providers of healthcare services have responded swiftly to health care market trends for both existing and emerging health issues. In general, stakeholders in the health sector are collaborating in formulating and implementing strategies that are designed to improve the health welfare of the society. Amid the vibrant activities, plans, and strategies that have rocked the health sector, it has become necessary to address specific health issues in a certain way as opposed to another. In other words, it is essential to narrow down major health issues and/or complications, and ultimately address them as a singled out aspect of the larger health care environment (Levin, Petrila & Hennessy, 2004). Doing so provides a better ground for dealing with specific health issues intensively, as opposed to addressing diverse and dynamic health complications all at the same time. In this respect, the ultimate focus in this project is directed towards a residential and day treatment facility for individuals with mental illness and/or mental retardation. Although majority health care facilities have mental illness and/or mental retardation departments, not all facilities cater for all-round needs of the patients. On the same note, there are health care facilities that are primarily set up for persons with mental illnesses and/or mental retardation, but they are not as many as general hospitals in any given society. While the number of patients suffering from mental illnesses is not as high as that of patients suffering from other forms of illnesses, the available mental illness and/or mental retardation facilities are yet to fully satisfy the demand in the health care environment (Jenkins, 2011). For this reason, setting up a residential and day treatment facility for individuals with mental illness and/or mental retardation will be a business venture that is consistent with market demands. Proposal Business establishment is just but the starting point of a long process that factors in all operations that define the business. The business of interest in this case is the residential and day treatment facility for individuals with mental illness and/or mental retardation highlighted in the background above. The plan is to establish an operational facility that will critically meet all-round patient needs relating to mental illnesses and/or retardation. The strategic plan is to market and mobilize financing for the facility for continued functionality and operational success. Marketing and obtaining adequate financing for such a facility is not a walk in the park. It is has been observed that there are numerous facilities that have opened before, only to close down after some time for differentiated reasons (Harrison, 2010). On the same note, there are some facilities that never mature, meaning that the final result is not realized due to the fact that they fail before they become fully operational. Taking these factors into account, it will be necessary to undertake critical strategic planning and evaluation of the available alternatives to ensure that all setbacks are countered in order to avoid business failure at an advanced level. The plan is to make fundamental business consultations and work with professionals and experts in this field to ensure that all operational aspects are accounted for. It is undoubtedly evident that poor management and of lack of adequate resources are the primary causes of business failure in the contemporary times (Goldman, Buck & Thompson, 2009). Establishing a successful residential and day treatment facility for individuals with mental illness and/or mental retardation will require intensive and extensive marketing within and without the locale of establishment. Marketing will in turn enhance resource mobilization and subsequently aid financing of the facility. All relevant stakeholders in this line will be integrated into the project at own will. Conclusion A residential and day treatment facility for individuals with mental illness and/or mental retardation is essentially set to address critical health care needs in the locale of establishment. The fall of new and advanced technologies will impact positively on the operations of the business, right from its set up to operational efficiency, effectiveness, performance, and success. The fact that provision of health care services is an expensive undertaking cannot be ignored. Therefore, collaborative efforts will be open to health care environment stakeholders that would want to be associated with the facility. All parties that are drawn towards serving patients with mental illnesses and/or retardation will be welcome. The facility will also seek to serve all persons affected by the illness in one way or another, by evaluating social and economic needs that pertain to this health issue. Therefore, marketing and financing the facility are critical aspects of strategic planning in this business. References Goldman, H., Buck, J. & Thompson, K. (2009). Transforming Mental Health Services: Implementing the Federal Agenda for Change. New York: American Psychiatric Pub. Harrison, J.P. (2010). Essentials of Strategic Planning in Healthcare. Chicago: Health Administration Press. Jenkins, R. B. (2011). International and national policy challenges in mental health. Mental Health in Family Medicine, 101-14. Levin, B., Petrila, J. & Hennessy, K. (2004). Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More