United Healthcare - Essay Example

United Healthcare History of the Company United healthcare is an organization whose aim is to create efficient healthcare systems to enhance the well-being of the society. The organization began operations in 1977 and it is a member of a group of organizations known as united healthcare group. The organization serves seventy million citizens who are located in over twenty states in the country (UHG, 2009). The institute has developed numerous programs that will help it in enhancing the healthcare of its citizens in the next decade. This is besides developing a strategic plan that will enable the firm to grow, increase patient satisfaction, and employ additional nurses. This paper will analyze United Healthcare’s strategic plan and preparedness to provide health care services in the next decade. Preparedness of dealing with Healthcare Demand United Healthcare has developed various programs that will help in providing consumers of all ages and gender with health services. The programs include AmeriChoice, OptumHealth, and Ingenix (UHG, 2009). AmeriChoice is a program that the organization has developed to help low-income families to access health care at an affordable price. This program enables low-income families to pay for health services using any means that fits their economic well-being (Gray, Lowery, & Benz, 2013). This development will enhance low-income earners to access health services in the organization in the next decade. The institution has also developed a program known as OptumHealth that helps employees who have health needs. This initiative educates the employees and it helps them to overcome chronic diseases (Miles, 2012). This program will enable all organizations to enroll their workers in the initiative to improve their health. A report by the United Healthcare organization indicates that at least 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 on a daily basis (UHG, 209). This has motivated the organization to develop a program known as Ovations, which helps individuals who are above 50 years to get the health care that they deserve. This initiative helps the aging members of the society to determine and access the health services that fit their personal needs. The organization is also entering into partnerships with shopping centers and stores to increase access to health services. These partnerships enable the company to open branches in the shopping centers (Showalter, 2012). This will ensure that citizens access health education and services almost at their doorstep in the next decade and beyond this time. Strategic Plan Network growth United Healthcare has a plan of increasing its network through numerous partnerships. The partnerships enable the organization to open new branches that are located in the partner’s premises in the United States. The institution is also increasing its presence in the globe by collaborating with universities in various countries (Gray, Lowery, & Benz, 2013). The healthcare firm works with these institutions to educate the world about the nature of chronic diseases, how to prevent them, and their cures. Patient Satisfaction The institution aims at increasing patient satisfaction by offering efficient services. The organization plans to use Ingenix, which is an information technology that ensures the efficient running of hospital systems. Ingenix also reduces system breakdowns and this leads to efficient and fast services to patients (Miles, 2012). The company also plans to conduct additional training sessions to its employees every year. This will ensure that these employees provide customers with the most satisfying services. According to a survey that the company conducted in 2011, 99% of the participants argued that their levels of satisfaction with the services that they receive increase every time they visit the institution (Gray, Lowery, & Benz, 2013). This means that the information technology is efficient, thus enabling consumers to increase their trust in the company’s services. Resource Management United Healthcare has resource centers where various parties may access the information and service that they require. The resources in these centers include newsletters and articles about fitness, nutrition, and other health topics. The organization also takes care of employees because they are a resource by paying them competitive salaries and training them so that they may acquire new skills (UHG, 2009). United Healthcare has also employed storekeepers who take care of the physical resources that are kept in designated stores. The storekeepers, nurses, and physicians are trained on how to keep various tools correctly (Miles, 2012). Nurse Staffing The organization has a plan of educating its nurses so that they may acquire additional skills to help them serve numerous patients. The institution does this because statistics from the World Health Organization indicate that by 2025, the US will face a shortage of 125,000 nurses (Gray, Lowery, & Benz, 2013). Therefore, United Healthcare responds by training all its nurses to be able to offer services in numerous fields in addition to their specialty. This means that even if there will be shortage; the company will curb this because its nurses will be able to offer diverse services. The institution has also developed an electronic technique of offering healthcare to patients while they are at home. Consumers will use the e-health system to see their doctors through a video link while they are at the comfort of their homes. This system works in soundproof rooms to enable doctors to treat patients without interference (Miles, 2012). This system will require at least one nurse to be with the patient in the video link room. The nurse will provide the help, care, and medication that the doctor will approve through the video. This system helps in curbing the shortage of nurses because patients will require only one nurse. Patients will also not need to visit the hospital and face the challenge of slow services because of shortage of nurses. This will also help to reduce the number of patients visiting the hospital, which will in turn enable the few nurses to offer services efficiently (Showalter, 2012). Conclusion United Healthcare is a health network that has a profound presence in numerous states in the United States. The organization has developed programs that will enable it to care for citizens in the next decade. The initiatives include the AmeriChoice that helps low-income earners access health services at a low cost, Ovations that helps individuals above 50 years to access special health care, and the OptumHealth that cares for employees who have chronic diseases. The organization also has a strategic plan that will enable it to increase customer satisfaction, manage resources efficiently, curb shortage of nurses, and grow its network. This plan involves agendas such as training nurses, using information technology, and setting up resource centers and stores that are professionally managed. References Gray, V., Lowery, D., & Benz, J. K. (2013). Interest groups and health care reform across the United States. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Miles, T. P. (2012). Health care reform and disparities: History, hype, and hope. Santa Barbara: Praeger. Showalter, J. S. (2012). The law of healthcare administration. Chicago, Ill: Health Administration Press. United Health Group. (2009). Modernizing healthcare. United health group. Retrieved from http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/Investors/~/media/F8DCC25D77824668ACA0C584492458AD.ashx Read More