Relection on case hospital strategy for survival - Research Paper Example

Reflection paper on case hospital for survival The story of Cambridge Hospital and its strategy for survival in the 1990s is one that should be emulated by all public hospitals that aim to thrive. The CEO, John O’Brien, having faced serious administrative challenges, proved to the world that he could keep the hospital going despite the difficult times (Scott 1). It is not easy for any public hospital to stay afloat when faced with serious challenges such as managed care, bureaucracy and deregulated rates.

During the time that public hospitals such as Cambridge Hospital were facing such challenges, private hospitals used various strategies such as consolidating and merging, and attracting new patients (Scott 2). Public hospitals were faced with a serious shortage of funds to support their operations. Most of them ended up shutting down permanently, while other merged with various institutions in order to stay afloat (Scott 3). It is interesting to note that despite the fact that O’Brien was backed up by City officials, they still required him to prove the economic viability of the Cambridge Hospital.

Being a director of a public health institution, the challenges were endless. Private hospitals were not making the situation easier as they sought to conquer the territories that were previously held by public hospitals (Scott 6). The journey of keeping the hospital afloat has been far from easy. The management has tried severally but the challenges have been persistent. Despite the financial challenges, the City Council of Cambridge has been seen to interfere with the smooth operations of the hospital.

The scrutiny on the hospital’s budget by the city council was somewhat obsessive (Scott 15). It would have been easy for any CEO of a public hospital to give up and walk away when faced with such challenges such as lack of support from the city government and patients. The hospital should be lauded for its endless efforts such as strong campaigns to attract and retain customers. The innovative programs also contributed to the success of the hospital. Just as the CEO reflected, having observed the course of the hospital’s progress, there are many issues of optimism and concern (Scott 20).

One such issue of concern is the nature of health care over the years and the relationship with the city council. This case should be an eye opener to all public institutions that are being faced with challenges of surviving. The only question I have is why there have to be so many challenges to the process of reviving a hospital.Work CitedEsther Scott. A Public Hospital’s Strategy for Survival: The Story of Cambridge Hospital. Kennedy School of Government: Harvard University Press, 1998. Print.