Healthcare Marketing; Inez Montero Case - Essay Example

"Healthcare Marketing; Inez Montero Case" is a great example of a paper on the health system.
Healthcare marketing requires inputs from both the medical and non-medical staff for effective publicizing and selling of healthcare services. As such, communication is vital at all levels of the marketing process as ideas are exchanged, and portals of improvement passed across the engaging teams. Inez is therefore confronted with the challenge of establishing a well-guided structure of communication within the marketing team, especially with the expansion of her responsibilities to include promotions and public events (Cellucci, Wiggins, & Farnsworth, 2013).

To overcome this challenge, Inez should lay down a communication structure addressing avenues of communications. With the coming changes of the facility, communications are going to be extensive and proper channels and avenues will see the incorporation of ideas from all potent parties into the new look of the hospital. In addition, she should plan for activities, such as forums to emphasize to the nurses and the clinicians the importance of embracing modern electronic communication.

Conflict Management

When the CEO of St. Patricia makes the call to end collaboration with Keller Public Relations firm, Inez is authorized to hire a public relations team leader. The hiring committee, although divided, is seriously considering hiring Grafenstein, who is second in command from the same PR firm they stopped working with, Keller PR firm. Her greatest concern is incorporating Grafenstein into her marketing team and at the same time avoid friction with the members since they don’t trust the firm he was working for and especially now that he is the team leader (Cellucci et al., 2013). A turmoil is very likely to ensue.

Handling conflict requires the use of both interpersonal skills and legitimate power. It would be expedient to explain to the team why it is necessary to hire a team leader with a specialty in public relations since such competence could not be found in the team. Gary had the added advantage of being acquainted with St. Patricia, which meant little time was to be used orienting him to the center, the time advantage to the entire team. When such failed, Inez can apply her authority as the director of the team for the better of the center and to see that the team worked as one.

Teamwork

Teamwork calls for all members of the team to work together towards a unified goal and that every member contributes towards the cause. Every element of the team, including team leadership and members’ contributions and cooperation, therefore, ought to work together as parts of a machine to accomplish the objectives and goals of the team. With Gary being the leader, some team members may fail to comply. The new responsibility bestowed on the team also requires extensive teamwork, with unity of direction.

Teamwork requires instigating a sense of belongingness and importance in the team members. Inez should ensure that every member of the team feels important in the team. Each team member should be assigned responsibility(s) to incorporate them into the operations of the team. Team building activities always go a long way into fostering the bonds in the team.

Leadership

Leadership is, so to say, an important element of success in any cause. Leadership provides a sense of direction and unity of strength. The leader of a group leads, members follow. In this light, it is important to have a leader who is accepted in the group. As Inez prepares to introduce Gary, the imminent likelihood of rejection is almost apparent. Members of the marketing team already despise the organization Gary has been working for (Cellucci et al., 2013). Inez, therefore, is met with the responsibility of ensuring Gary is incorporated into the team.

To ensure Gary is successfully incorporated into the team, Inez should ensure that she communicates to the team that Gary was selected on the basis of merit and Qualifications. It is important to emphasize to the team members that the new Image of St. Patricia requires qualified expertise to ensure the center climbs the ranks again in the market niche. She should also mention the importance of working together instead of resistance as such energy would be used in doing more constructive work.

Strategic Management

In spite of involving the Keller public relations firm, results were always frustrating, which led to negative feedback from the St. Patricia personnel and ultimate discontinuation of doing business with this firm. Evidently, Keller Public Relations firm lacks strategic management. This responsibility of publicity has now been given to Inez. She is to work harder to avoid bringing frustrations to the Center on outcomes of publicity.

For better outcomes, Inez should diligently follow the Guidelines for strategic management. She should plan for the project using the available resources and target population. The city dweller, suffering the blow of the recession, requires affordable healthcare services and this should be included in the marketing efforts from her team. Continuous monitoring of both the team activities and realizations of goals are important to ensure the team is heading in the desired direction. Analysis and assessment of the progress of the team are necessary to identify gaps and areas of improvement.  Analysis of areas that require a change in line with the new bid of giving the medical center a new look is also a step in the right direction.

In awareness and resolution of the stated issues above, Inez would not only help in incorporating Gary into the team and getting better cooperation from team members, but she would also achieve better results and be aligned with the new change to the Center while she and her team perform a crucial role in the whole process.