Management in Healthcare - Research Paper Example

Management in Healthcare Management in Healthcare In order to understand how to undertake management of healthcare, there was the need to interview the general manager in a Health or Human Service organization, in this case, St. John’s Medical, so as to gather sufficient information regarding this topic. This interview enabled the researcher to relate the course materials concerning the external and internal environmental factors, together with the functions of management comprising of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, decision making, and conflict management to the actual management activities within an HSO. St. John’s Medical is a public hospital located in Dallas, Texas; according to the general manager, this hospital has the capacity of accommodating 2500 people, i.e. patients and the medical staff, while, at the same time, it operates 24hrs a day and 7days a week. It is easy to get accessibility to this hospital since there is a public telephone i.e. +972 3211 6578 01, while mails can be send to stjohnsmedical@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 10909 Dallas, Texas. After the interview that I conducted, I was able to compile the following essay regarding human services organization, starting from its definition, organization chart, the organizational structure, and eventually the key management roles of the HSO. It is essential to define the term human services organizations (HSO) to be able to understand this subject; these are entities, which provide the organizational structure whereby there is the making of health service delivery precisely to consumers, regardless to whether the objective of the services is preventive, restorative, acute, palliative or chronic. Therefore, the health services industry comprise of health services providers, for instance, medical practices, nursing homes, hospitals, home health care agencies and clinics. However, there are types of other institutes within the system, for instance, health insurance, biotechnology, managed care, medical equipment suppliers, pharmaceuticals, and educational, as well as research agencies. Apart from being the fundamental health service provider, HSO is also a business (Gapenski, 2008). The HSO Environment The wide perception concerning health care practice whereby the health services organization functions comprises of thousands of autonomous medical practices, along with partnerships, managed care, together with provider organizations; both public and nonprofit institutions, for instance hospitals, nursing homes, along with other specialized care facilities, in addition to leading private corporations. In other words, the health care system can be described as expensive, complex, while, at the same time, quite fragmented; rather than a grouping of well identified, as well as integrated constituents, all of which correlate to a common goal. However, the health care system tends to be partially complex considering that it constantly changes providers, and due to its direct effect on the community’s quality of life, it also tends to be challenging owing to the intricacy of the HSO, as well as its consequential (Haddock, McLean & Chapman, 2002). The organizational chart of defines the boundaries of the authority, administrative relationships, groups of employees, as well as operational work flow of an organization. A number of essential elements of success, which include workplace culture, along with operational efficiency, tend to be directly subjective by organizational chart. An influential and well-designed chart is significant to the success of any organization (Harrison, 2010). The following is the organizational chart of St. John’s Medical. St. John’s Medical Organizational Chart Organizational Structure of the HSO The HSO refers to an entity offering an organizational structure, which offers services beside a range of human services, with the intention of providing a substantial assistance directly to or aid in a person’s physical or psychological change. There are four features of the organizational structure of HSO that is the focus on individuals; followed by ambiguity in setting goals, together with difficulty measuring outcomes; then complexity in financial arrangements, as well as involvement with third party payers, along with prevalence of professionals plus independent contractors (Marquis & Huston, 2006). A normal business happens to be an entity, which has its main mission as the production of products in the generation of profit or improvement of the position or wealth of its shareholders or investors. As a result, this operational definition just as that of the HSO tends to be a guide, and not a determinant in classifying or categorizing companies. These four features are further described below (Melnyk & Overholt, 2005): a) Focus on individuals: As long as an organization concentrates in the provision of absolute supports and services in changing persons and the less it does bulk production of goods and services, making it similar to an HSO, the higher the possibility of stakeholders being more intense, as well as emotional. b) Ambiguity of goals and intricacy in measurement of outcomes: Normally, a business tends to have a real goal, a visibly identified profit motive for increasing the shareholder’s wealth, or a commitment ensuring that there is a profit to an investor. Therefore, there should never be confusion between real goals with the ones some companies state publicly that might make a business sound similarly to an HSO. This is because; the HSO has dispute and ambiguity concerning service goals against financial accountability. This conflicts has a connection with its emphasis regarding serving or supporting distinct individuals, while meeting their needs, being capable of setting goals and measuring outcomes. c) Financial complexity, along with third party payees: A business or organization whereby the consumer fails in exactly paying the bill whether comprising of insurance companies, governments, or even foundations, happens to be dissimilar from the typical business, which is responsible for setting a price for either a product or service, while at the same time, accepting payment directly from its consumer. An organization happens to be similar to an HSO whilst there are considerable numbers of complicated regulations applied to that organization. d) Prevalence of professionals, along with independent contractors: A number of organizations that have prevalence of professionals, as well as independent contractors tend to be similar to an HSO rather than a normal company. The being of clinical staff along with duties to professions, ethical codes, as well as licenses, brings out issues not facade by the typical business that lacks this personnel. Addressing Basic Management Functions Considering that HSO are organizations just like any other organization, it is necessary for them to address fundamental management functions like planning, controlling, organizing, staffing, directing, and conflict. Management refers to the various functions performed by a manager in an organization; these functions include (Kelly, 2003): a) Planning: This function ascertains the objectives to be attained, alone with the strategy to be followed in attaining them. It is a mental process that requires the utilization of intellectual skills, for sight, as well as sound judgment in the selection and relation of facts, while at the same time, making and using of notions concerning the future in the apparition and formation of proposed duties perceived in the attaining of the desired results. Therefore, planning entails making a decision in advance regarding the ways and the means of accomplishing predetermined objectives. b) Organizing: This is an essential managerial activity whereby managers assemble the manpower, along with material resources for the attainment of company goals, while establishing relationships amongst the company members. There is the establishment of relationships on the basis of authority and responsibility. Every member in the company organization gets a specific responsibility or duty to undertake and gets the matching authority to undertake his duty. Therefore, organizing entails identification, as well as grouping the activities to be undertaken and dividing them amongst the individuals, while at the same time, establishing authority and responsibility relationships amongst them. c) Staffing: This is an executive entailing the recruitment, placement, selection, compensating, training, promotion and demotion and eventually the retirement of an employee. Therefore, staffing refers to the process of managing the organization, while keeping it manned. The exclusive goal of staffing is assigning the right man for the right job; therefore, it requires manpower planning, job analysis, together with such other staff functions considering that the capacity of hired personnel is a prerequisite in governing the future of the organization. d) Directing: This is an essential function of management considering that makes sure work done through and with people, bearing in mind that they need continuous encouragement in order to work effectively. Therefore, it is the duty of management to guide, as well as lead team continuously by imparting instructions to them, communicating orders, rules together with decisions, motivating them, providing leadership and guidance, supervising their work and behavior, and inspiring them towards enhanced performance. Although it seem straightforward to define it, directing needs both foresight, as well as experience. e) Controlling: This function entails the verifications of whether every thing happens in compliance with the adopted plan, the instructions given, as well as the principles given. Therefore, control happens to be a device for measuring and correcting considering that it measures performance besides goals and plans. While planning entails guiding the management in the timely utilization of resources in attaining goals, on the other hand, control makes sure that planning gets done effectively. f) Conflict management: This function entails the implementation of strategies to prohibit the negative views of conflict, while at the same time increasing the positive perception of conflict at a degree that is either equal to or even higher than the position in which the conflict is happening. Apart from that, the aim of conflict management is enhancing learning, as well as group outcomes, in other words, the efficacy or performance in an organizational setting. Conflict managements concern is not the elimination of all conflict or the avoidance of conflict; rather bringing out the value of any form of conflict to groups, as well as organizations thereby increasing group outcomes when handled properly. Management skills required for the HSO When a company happens to be similar to a human services organization (HSO) in whichever of these four features, certain areas of education, training, as well as skills happen to be more possibly to be a specially substantial need, instead of just required as if it turned as having control similarly to any other organization. Therefore, the model acts as a guide with no built in quantitative benchmarks. Evaluation of an organization by means of the model needs judgment by the user; no sole feature or group of feature automatically prompts a certain training. This is due to the fact that having a single symbol extremely near the HSO might prompt a requirement for the special training; while at the same time, having all or a number of symbols moderately near the HSO on the variety might also be a sign that there is a necessity for training. The symbols available on the continuum line of the organization, which tend to be indicators for action, with the interrelation of characteristics, thereby leading to the overlapping of indicated training, as well as education. Nonetheless, whichever of the four areas of education, together with training becomes illustrated in terms of their validity to each of the four features in the model. Therefore, there is the need for each training to represent an ability required by the manager, past what would be anticipated of a manager within a normal business (Motacki & Burke, 2011). a) Emphasize Strategic Planning: In instances whereby there is the singling out of an organization as having a trend of being similar to an HSO in whichever of the four features, then there is an indication of greater highlighting at strategic planning. Putting emphasis on goal setting, while at the same time, focusing on the measurement of individual outcome can be addressed through the identification of a clear vision, mission, as well as values, which establishes the stage for visibly written goals. In cases where there is the prevalence of professionals, intricacy of finance, and third party payers, then the contribution in planning from a broad range of stakeholders is capable of facilitating empowerment, together with goal alignment. Managers have the capability of making remarkable efforts in the appraisal of best practices by benchmarking with other entities, as well as other sources. b) Cultivate Stakeholders: Managers are capable of establishing an environment that is open for professionals, as well as independent contractors, particularly in instances whereby they are more prevalent; through the involvement of financial parties in planning especially when there is an indication of complicated financial procedure or even third party payers. This is through the identification and respecting professionals’ allegiances, together with the codes of ethics, making an attempt in resolving perceived conflicts coming from them. This is achievable when managers network with advocacy groups. c) Address and Manage Conflict: The management of conflict, along with active listening happen to the skills, which are necessary for any organization that is indicating tendencies to being similar to an HSO in whichever of the four features. It is noteworthy that whichever of the four features has the potential for conflict, which although is a necessity for other companies the HSO manager may be prepared to anticipate more prevalent conflict, as well as an involvement that is both more intense and emotional. Conflict is capable of relating to ambiguous goals, outcomes measurement, professional ethics in addition to organization rules, together with third party financing, all intrinsic in the HSO. d) Develop an organizational culture that is individual centered: Where whichever of the four features is similar to an HSO, then this is a required ability. Understanding what is, as well as establishing or managing an organizational ethos, respected by all clinical staff, professionals, consumers, advocates, and regulatory agencies tend to be difficult, though it is necessary. Therefore, skills in strategic planning, stakeholder cultivation and conflict management tend to overlap this. A dedication to being the dollar’s steward, while directing funds on services is necessary. Conclusions There is a provision of an operational meaning of a HSO that involves a number of health care organizations in this paper. There are four key features of an HSO derived from this definition; therefore, both the definition, as well as core features, develop the foundation of a model used in the assessment of how closely a company tends to be similar to an HSO. This assessment has its basis on the four key features that are the focus on individuals, ambiguity of goals and intricacy in measurement of outcomes, complexity in financing, together with third party payers, as well as prevalence of professionals, along with independent contractors. Apart from that, the education, along with the training necessary in addressing, these features are in four sections that are underscoring strategic planning, encourage stakeholders, control conflict, as well as establish a human or an organizational culture that is individual centered. Similarly to the manner in which there is an interrelation amongst the four core features, there is an overlapping in the skill groups for addressing them (Swayne, Duncan & Ginter, 2008). It is essential for managers of human services to have the same basic education, along with training similar to other managers. This education entails having knowledge of management functions namely planning, directing, organizing, staffing, and controlling along with conflict management. Managers are presently managing or planning to administer organizations whose main features listed in the model similar to the human service organization require additional specialized training. Therefore, a manager qualified in business, or even public management principles with an intention of having a career in organizations, which offers direct services to individuals might perceive that he is ill equipped in meeting the challenges connected with the HSO. The HSO can be perceived as a fundamental provider of health care delivering services precisely to consumers as an element of a range of human services ranging from initiation up to long term care. Although there is the need for health care organization in addressing the management functions similar to other organizations, it also has a human service, which is not a mainly business purpose, yet facades a competitive, as well as regulated environment. As a result, goals are challenging to establish; the outcomes are challenging to measure; while there is the need for high quality from a number of stakeholders. On top of their distinctive financial arrangements, the other distinction of health care organizations is through the remarkable challenges facade in their intense utilization of professionals (Wise, 2007). References: Buchbinder, S. B., & Shanks, N. H. (2007). Introduction to health care management. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Gapenski, L. C. (2008). Healthcare finance: an introduction to accounting and financial management (4th ed.). Chicago: Health Administration Press ;. Haddock, C. C., McLean, R. A., & Chapman, R. C. (2002). Careers in healthcare management how to find your path and follow it. Chicago, Ill.: Health Administration Press. Harrison, J. (2010). Essentials of strategic planning in healthcare. Chicago, Ill.: Health Administration Press ;. Kelly, D. L. (2003). Applying quality management in healthcare a process for improvement. Chicago: Health Administration Press ;. Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2006). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and application (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Melnyk, B. M., & Overholt, E. (2005). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Motacki, K., & Burke, K. (2011). Nursing delegation and management of patient care. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby/Elsevier. Swayne, L. E., Duncan, W. J., & Ginter, P. M. (2008). Strategic management of health care organizations (6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Wise, S. P. (2007). Leading plus managing in nursing (4th ed.). 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