HCA610 Week
1 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
Discuss at least two
implications of health care reform on the health care organization’s goals and
strategic plan. How will processes and operations need to be adjusted to meet
the requirements of health care reform legislation?
dq 2
Evaluate the
“Comprehensive Organizational Plan” presented by Oetjen and Rotarius.
Is this model suitable for any type of health care organization? Discuss the
implications of the model on the ability of health care managers to contain
cost, preserve quality, and promote universal access.
HCA610 Week
2 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
Compare and contrast at
least two methods of assessing health care organizations’ operational needs and
explain how they differ based upon a particular health care setting.
dq 2
What is the purpose of a
balanced scorecard? How is the balanced scorecard used to lead and manage an
organization? How can the balanced scorecard be linked to organizational
effectiveness as well as individual performance evaluation?
HCA610 Week
3 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
Describe the effect of
higher levels of medical spending, profitability, and fiscal margins on process
quality for health care organizations. Indicate the role of financial stability
in health care organizations on their ability to adequately resource the
staffing, equipment, and infrastructure that support care delivery.
Specifically, what is the effect of financial flexibility in increased use of
preventative and wellness measures and lower length of stay?
dq 2
Discuss Pettigrew’s
theory on the contextual dependency of strategic change. Explain the concept of
the disciplining context and why medical professionals accepted and used it.
Also, explain why the internal market system, which was implemented to solve
financial problems, was abandoned.
HCA610 Week
4 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
Post the questions and
responses from the interview you conducted with a health care organization
senior executive. Comment on the interviews of at least two of your classmates.
dq 2
The resources needed to
support operations and implement strategic initiatives can far surpass those
available. What is the role of the board in establishing organizational
priorities? How do you know which winning ideas are worth pursuing now? How can
an organization tackle ambitious plans while ensuring that operations stay on
track?
HCA610 Week
5 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
Recent turmoil in the
capital markets underscored for hospital leaders the negative impact of various
liability-side risks. These risks for the liability-side include market and
liquidity risks as applied to investments, such as equities (stocks), bonds,
securities, and property, plant, and equipment. What are several types of
financial risk that the health care organization could take in the course of
operations?
dq 2
Financing risk often
must be addressed when an organization is least equipped to deal with it and
limited in its options. The interrelationship of asset-side and liability-side
risks is a critical issue for hospital leadership. Give an example of how you would
use a best practice approach to balance sheet management, giving careful
consideration to management of asset/liability risks and returns in concert
with one another.
HCA610 Week
6 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
In today’s economy, an
important measure for a CEO or CFO is the return on assets (ROA). The goal is
to maximize the ROA, resulting in reduced operating costs and improved clinical
outcomes. Given the direction of reimbursement, a well-run project with
positive results could impact a health care organization’s revenue performance.
What are some ways building projects will lose without supply chain
management’s expertise?
dq 2
The key to planning
technology is the investment in a strategic plan that encompasses not only
where an organization is headed, but also defines the organization’s current
position. The plan, in essence, outlines the pathway between the two. Making it
successful depends on how the market is defined, and whether or not the right
questions are being asked. To determine the long-term cost of operation and
potential revenue generation for each piece of equipment, what factors need to
be considered?
HCA610 Week
7 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
The goal of the Six
Sigma program is to achieve a level of quality that is as close to perfection
as possible. Sigma is actually a statistical term used to gauge how far a
process deviates from perfection. Explain how the disciplines within Six Sigma
can improve hospital efficiency and hospital profitability?
dq 2
What is your personal
definition of continuous quality improvement? How would you relate this
definition to operations in a health care organization? How do we try to build
new methods of practicing based on profound knowledge, most of which already is
tacit in the organization, as well as the new knowledge that the CQI process
generates?
HCA610 Week
8 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
What is the value of
supply chain management? How does supply chain management impact the financial
position of an organization?
dq 2
Why would an
organization need to measure the capacity (throughput) of the various resources
(x-ray equipment, exam rooms, length of stay, etc.)? How does capacity
management support decision-making?
