Vila Health is a health system in the Midwest, with
hospitals and clinics in Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, and North Dakota. You
have recently taken a job in the finance department at St. Anthony Medical
Center, a Vila Health hospital in Minneapolis.
One day, your boss stops by your desk. She indicates that
current financials are falling 10 percent short of projections. As a result,
she has asked you to develop a strategy to reduce the operating budget for the
coming year by 10 percent.
It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. You
think about where you might cut for awhile, but then you realize: You need more
information if you’re going to make smart and sustainable cuts. It’s time to
talk to department heads and other leaders.See attached Interview with leadership
Use the Budget Reduction Proposal Template [DOCX) to complete your recommendations.
Address the following in the introductory page for this request:
Would you reduce each line item by 10 percent? Why is this the best approach? Also, how do you intend to handle fixed costs with this approach?
Would you select specific line items to reduce by 10 percent? Why is this the best approach? If so, how would you pinpoint which line items to reduce?
Would you put a freeze on all hiring, training, travel, and purchasing? Why is this the best approach?
What other ideas do you have to cut your overall budget by 10 percent without affecting the care that you provide?
Explain how the reduced operating budget aligns with an organization’s target profit margin.
Offer at least three solutions to reduce the budget by 10 percent.
These recommendations may include multiple line items and may overlap but should be three separate and distinct options for senior leadership to consider.
For example, in one recommendation, you suggest cutting department heads, reducing food costs, and eliminating bonuses to get you to the magic number. In a separate recommendation, you may suggest reducing overall staffing, eliminating bonuses, and reducing food costs.
Prior to making your recommendations, be sure to review the Staffing and Budgeting Dilemmas in Health Care media, introducing you to your department heads and what their specific needs and concerns are regarding the budget. This should influence your decision about priorities and what you may want to avoid when cutting back.
Do some research to see what the literature is suggesting to address this problem.
Be sure to include references to at least two scholarly and/or authoritative sources in your operating budget proposal. Follow current APA guidelines for in-text citations and references.
