Latifa Hospital in United Arab Emirates - Essay Example

HEALTH SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS MANAGEMENT By   Department Professor’s Name Name of the University May 1, 2012 Question one: Introduction Latifa hospital is located in U.A.E, being the largest radiology, maternity and children hospitality which was established in 1987. It is well known in the Arabic world the name was given as a remembrance of the owner of the hospital. Swot analysis of Latifa hospital. For the hospital to remain focus and competitive in the market, as a director of the health organization there was need to conduct SWOT analysis to be able to come up with the best strategic fit to draft a long and short term strategic plan to achieve the goals for the hospital. Opportunities: The hospital boosts having a large extensive network of hospitals which are key primary health centers, this enables them to attract and serve a large number of clients who are widely spread increasing firm’s market share from local to national markets. Through the use of e-service online is currently available to the international clients. The increasing firm’s reputation among the buyers and other satisfactions of services because of its Muslim and Arabic protection and respect of cultures (Gupta, 2011 pp.2). Threats: in recent times there have been an increase in the minimum wage levels in the sectors, these has made the hospital to change its wage structure to suit these. There have been entrants of new large hospitals in the market creating competition in the health sector. The world has also been affected by increases in the cost of raw materials and other supporting services; this has become a challenge that has prompted the hospital to look for other cost saving measures. Strengths: The hospital is having the largest hospital size which holds the radiology, maternity and children’s hospital needs. It boosts the experience that it has in the sector having been established in 1987. Through a number of social responsibilities, charity works, generosity and kindness of its owners have enabled the hospital to win trust of many clients and trust. The hospital also is well known in Arabic world in embracing a number of ethics and complying and nurturing Islamic cultures which is being cultured and has made majority of the clients to feel homely in the hospital. In support of these services the hospital does provide e-services like medical fitness and licensing services which gives the clients more variety. Other strength is that primary health care is well established, and is adopted in line with the philosophy of W.H.O. Inside the hospital it has a large state of art hospital called with Deira which has a bed capacity of about 625. Lastly the hospital boosts to have some shared support services which include: administrative, financial and overseas treatments (Mona et al, 2011 pp.56). Weakness: the perception of majority of the hospital clients who are outside the Arabic world or international tourists have a negative perspective that the hospital only is meant for only one specific type clients mainly Muslims and Arabs. The hospital has been improving its facilities for a long time but is unable to tackle some specialized treatments due to lack of some technical equipments. The hospital is faced with the problem of limited number of skilled human resources, majority of the health workers are men while women are not seen. The hospital is faced with the problem of poor adaptability to technological changes (Heskett, 1991 pp.45). Question one B: strategic plan. As per the mission of the hospital which is to develop a world class integrated health system in the Emirates of Dubai by developing and implementing a number of policies and legislations. The task is also to promote excellence and support the achievement of global standards in preventive, curative and rehabilitating the health care. This can only be achieved by coming up with a strategic plan to address the emerging issues and aspects. The key issues: a number of issues emerging from the hospital presence in the region and world. The main issue is to still remain competitive in the market this will only be achieved by coming with strategies that will face the competition. Another issue that is important to the hospital is to be able to provide a variety of good services to a number of clients not only locally but internationally, this by focusing at quality by providing a customer tailored product at timely period of time. The hospital will also need to tackle the rising number of costs emerging in the industry through good cost saving measures to be taken. There are a number of strengths that the hospital needs to be capitalized through extensive networks, Good financial base and trust among the clients around the region (Heskett, 1991pp.45). Long term strategic goals: These are objectives that will be achieved within a period of 3-5 years. These objectives will include: first coming up with health plans and investment programs that will be able to attract and promote a number of private investments in all the medical services in Dubai, this will go hand in hand with providing information’s about market conditions. The result of these is clients would be able to get health care at appropriate time and improve the private sector performances. Second objective is to improve the health information systems and standards to improve the medical informatics creating transparency and accountability in the health sector, but all these will be achieved by maintaining patient’s privacy. Third objective is to create a health regulation, this by making sure that the internal processes in the hospital maintain proper quality standards in hospital facilities and services, this will also create a transparent and welfare services among the consumers. Fourth objective is the hospital will embrace the use of medical education and research, the hospital will be at the forefront in making sure that research is being carried out in Dubai region, and will also make sure that there is quality and support of postgraduates students who will help to promote professionalism in the hospital (Mona et al, 2011 pp.56). Short term strategic goals: These objectives will be achieved within one year. Firstly, the hospital will be working to be an international benchmark for all number clients in terms of practices and strategies. Secondly, the hospital will try to facilitate their involvement of hospital leadership in quality initiatives. Thirdly, the hospital will be planning to develop a hospital risk management in the health industry. Fourthly goal is to maintain and expand interacted creditable programs, This will be achieved by excellent programs, accreditations, this will done by revitalizing existing revenues from a number projects, they will also enable the hospital to cater for risk management with other patent safety. It will also focus on upgrading a number of services in the hospital sectors (Heskett, 1991 pp.88). Task plans to achieve the set objectives will involve forming groups and committees that will be used in the implementation of the specific objectives of resources. It will enable the hospital to mobilize a number of resources financially that will be located to the set objectives. The hospitals will an appropriate organizational structure which will be matched with the strategy as the key fundamental task of the hospital strategist. In tackling the dynamic changes occurring in the industry the hospital will be changing its growth strategy which will then suit a number of technological, economic and demographic changes this will enable to tackle any administrative and economic inefficiency. Question one 1 B: HRM aspects in Latifa hospital. HRM aspect. Problem Solution. Recruitment There is no focus of manpower needs A timeline should be provided for forecasting the man power needs yearly for period of five years. Proactive methods of attracting employees. Selection They are not in support of recruiting internal employees. They should establish a career development plan. Retention The employees work for a period of 1-2 years then they quit work. The organization should conduct job exit interviews to analyze the reasons for quitting Skill mix Employees work on one job continuously leading to monotony. Enriching the job by design job specifications. Compensation/ benefits It is mainly based on financial rewards. It should include both financial and non financial methods and rewards. Development/ appraisal Appraisal is not inclusive involving the employee participation. The employee should be given the chance to defend his/ her achievement. Question two: Current hospital situation Despite the hospital having a extensive hospital with a bed capacity of 300 people it is faced with a number of problems this include: the hospital has high turnover rates among the employees who exist with no clear reasons, secondly, there is low rates of patients satisfactions with major complains coming from patients who swear not to return back to the hospital. The senior management teams are not working in a transparent and openly manner, they lack trust among themselves. The office is also not well arranged there is a pile of documents. The entire hospital needs a different style of leadership that will help to bring out changes in the emerging issues. For this situation the best leadership that will be used and will bring the required changes will be democratic type of leadership which will involve the use of consultations, discussions that will help remedy some of the health issues present in the organization (Mona et al, 2011 pp.56). By carrying surveys, consultations or employee assessment democratically one will be able to identify why there are a high employee turnover. Implementation of exit questions will also enable one to get data why employees leave the organization with a short period. After indentifying the reasons why employee leave the organization is appropriate to establish good ways of retaining the employees this should be a comprehensive plan that will involve all kind of motivational factors which include use of motivational words, employees welfare services like offs, paid leaves, working on employees job securities. Employee recognition in work is important, in democratic space the employees need to be involved in decision making, this will be achieved by horizontal level of decision making, if appraisals are carried out they need to be fair and full replica of employees performance. Factors put forward as important in motivating and retaining knowledge workers include challenging work, creating a work culture permitting relative autonomy, celebrating achievement and developing a sense of purpose, direction and excitement (Burton, & Kalgan, 2006 pp. 265). Career development is another aspect that needs to be established in the organization this will enable the employees to progress through their career without any difficulty. Another aspect is to remove some monotony and repeat of the job that makes the employee feel de-motivated and feeling boring, this can be solved by enriching the existing jobs making them very interesting to the employees. This methods if they are applied democratically they will reduce employees turnover (Lee, 1994 pp.55). The performance and process in the hospital need to be improved so as to reduce the number of complains coming out from the customers. Quality is the current trend in a number of organizations, which helps in solving a number of problems that are concern with hospital processes and activities. Democratically it will be appropriate to ask the employees ways they can use to improve the daily tasks or activities; this will help to come up with the QMS quality management services that will be used to guide the operations of the employees. Secondly complains may result from the facilities in use they may need to be improved or written off, only machines and equipments that suitable for the hospital need to be used(Gupta, 2011 pp.2). One way of also improving the organization performance is using feedback from employees as an important factor; there should be a well established feedback mechanism that can be easily been reviewed and utilized. All these process need to be done democratically so as to be successful. By establishing a strong regulatory body to define and firmly enforce higher-quality standards for health-care providers and medical professionals, policymakers will build the confidence of patients in the quality of health care, no matter who provides it (Heskett, 1991pp.45). Internally in the hospital there is mistrust among the senior employees of the hospital these has lead to lack of openness and transparency among themselves. The best suitable solution is to carry out meetings where individuals are able to air out there grievances or their thoughts openly without any fear or victimization, this will create a democratic space where nothing is going to be hidden. Attributes and perceptions of knowledge workers themselves are important determinants of their organizational commitment and the best HR practices to attract and retain them Secondly, it is appropriate to conduct outings and other team building sessions that will help in making the employees to interact socially which will help in removing any kind of mistrust among themselves (Horwitz et al, 2003 pp.34). The problem of organization of the office involves quality management in respect to documentation. There a number of international recognized standards that can be used when making documentations; this will help reduce the number of papers that have been scattered in the organization offices. There is also need to democratically ask the employees to file their documents in the organization. A knowledge organization may have different design forms, with flatter, networked structures which may be diffuse and boundaries or loosely coupled organizational environments with decentralized and often networked decision-making in disaggregated or co-ordinated sub-units. Reference list Burton, M., & Kagan, C. (2006) ways of Decoding and valuing individuals: the Journal of is Society ability. Vol. 22, No. 4, 2006 June pp. 265-314 Gupta, P.R. (2011) UAE needs and indigenous model for effective health care System, international health care policy expert, India. Vol.3. NO.3.PP.1. Heskett, J.K. (1991) ‘The service driven service company’harvard business review, vol 65, No. 5, pages 71-81. Horwitz, F, Heng, C, Hesan, A (2003) finding, keepers, attracting, motivating and retaining Knowledge workers. Human resource management journal. Vol. 13. No. 4 pp.1-42. Lee, T.W. (1994) an alternative approach: the unfolding model of voluntary employer Turnover: Academy of management review. Vol. 19, no 1, pages 51-89. Mona, M, Viktor, H, and Lambert, T (2011) gulf cooperation council health care: challenges and opportunities, gulf cooperation council health care, Chapter 2.1 pp. 55-64. Read More