Please write a 450 word reply to the following discussion post. Must have 3 scholarly sources AND two biblical citations.
Original instructions for post: Effective healthcare management involves exercising professional judgment and utilizing the necessary skills to carry out managerial functions. Describe the various functions of healthcare managers. What are the key differences between each one? How can the healthcare manager ensure high performance in his/her business unit?
Post you will reply to:
In order to implement effective healthcare management, there are necessary managerial functions that must be utilized for the success of the healthcare organization. Jeremiah 31:25 says “for I satisfy the thirsty person and feed all those who are weak” (Christian Standard Bible) and as leaders in healthcare, we must do our best to help in any and every capacity that we can. According to Buchbinder and Thompson (2010), in order for a healthcare manager to successfully fulfill the responsibilities of this role, the six management functions that must be implemented in order to carry out the process of management are: planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, directing, and decision making (p. 21).
Planning in healthcare management is vital in order to set goals and helps prioritize what needs to be accomplished. Healthcare managers do not perform their daily jobs blindly—they plan and prepare for what needs to be done for the success of their organization. Organizing in healthcare management pertains to the specific area or unit a manager is responsible for. They must designate and determine both team and individual positions, assignments, authority, and more for their organization to run effectively and smoothly. Healthcare managers are also responsible for staffing, which refers to acquiring and retaining human resources. They develop and maintain a workforce that is suitable for that specific organization’s needs. In the case of COVID-19, “…the provider recruitment team identified the need for a centralized, streamlined process to quickly communicate recruiting information across departments and expedite onboarding to the areas of greatest need (Keeley et al., 2020, p. 1428). Controlling in healthcare management deals with monitoring staff activities and appointments and appropriately correcting any actions in order to increase the organization’s success and performance. Directing in healthcare management refers to initiating action of effective leadership and motivation of, and communication with, other supportive roles. Decision making in healthcare management is extremely important to healthcare organizations and means to make effective decisions based on the consideration of benefits as well as the drawbacks of alternatives. Guo et al. (2016) say that “Patient safety, quality of care and access, widespread demands for reducing the cost of care and value-based purchasing, all require healthcare administrators to take an evidence-based approach when making decisions” (p. 331).
Other key functions of a healthcare manager include policy-making, continuing education, and budgeting and finance responsibilities. Healthcare managers are required to create policies that suit the needs of the organization as well as keep up with current policies that are already in place. They must also be aware of insurance policies and issues as well. A healthcare manager must also be willing to continually educate themselves on health and technological advances in the field in order to stay current and have a high-performing organization. When it comes to budgeting and finance, a responsible healthcare manager must allocate funds responsibly, save costs where they can, and budget appropriately, all to maintain the organization as a business and make a maximum profit. Giancotti et al. (2017) say “Healthcare organizations are required to achieve efficiency and effectiveness; they must reduce costs and offer quality health services” (p. 2).
In order for a healthcare manager to ensure the highest performance possible of their organization, Taylor et al. (2015) say that “Studying high performing hospitals can be valuable if factors leading to or associated with performance can be identified and lessons learned are transferable to other hospitals” (p. 2). 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (Christian Standard Bible). By doing research on successful healthcare managers and organizations and translating that to another person and practice has the ability to set them up for success as well. Setting realistic goals is crucial to the success of a healthcare organization because goals must be attainable in order to be achieved. Also, it is good for healthcare managers to research and study potential outcomes of future actions and investments of the organization. A healthcare manager must also ensure a well-balanced team of professionals, staff, and ancillary services to fulfill every necessary role to complete a healthcare organization. Periodic performance appraisals are extremely important for healthcare managers to conduct and reward staff for positive performances to ensure the team is always providing their best efforts. Obtaining insights from staff engagement surveys will also help healthcare managers spark conversations that would encourage positive change within the organization. Creating and committing to action plans are also important for managers in healthcare organizations in order for attain meaningful and realistic goals for staff to achieve for the main purpose of providing quality healthcare to patients. Committing to action plans go hand-in-hand with executing them. As a healthcare professional and manager, one must implement and execute all the necessary plans and goals to increase the performance of the organization.
To conclude, there are various managerial functions which are necessary for healthcare managers to perform in order to run a successful healthcare organization. Though all of the functions differ from one another by their different aspects and contributions to the organization, they also coincide with each other as well with the main sole purpose of running a successful business and organization by providing quality care to all patients and consumers. To ensure the success, advancement, and progression of a healthcare organization, a healthcare manager must obtain a well-balanced team of professionals and be a good leader to achieve the goals of the organization. They must also retain feedback from staff and patients and be understanding, motivating, and responsive. Rewards or pay increases must be given as a part of positive reinforcement which will in turn prompt productive and effective work habits within the organization. Being goal-oriented and committed to action plans, and executing them are all important for a healthcare manager to achieve in order to increase the performance of the healthcare organization.
References
Buchbinder, S. B., & Thompson, J. M. (2010). Career opportunities in health care management: perspectives from the field. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Giancotti, M., Guglielmo, A., & Mauro, M. (2017). Efficiency and optimal size of hospitals: Results of a systematic search. Plos One, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174533 Links to an external site.
Guo, R., Berkshire, S. D., Fulton, L., & Hermanson, P. (2017). Using an Evidence-Based Management Approach in Healthcare Administration Decision-Making. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2017(1), 10240. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2017.10240abstract Links to an external site.
Keeley, C., Jimenez, J., Jackson, H., Boudourakis, L., Salway, R. J., Cineas, N., … Long, T. G. (2020). Staffing Up For The Surge: Expanding The New York City Public Hospital Workforce During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Health Affairs, 39(8), 1426–1430. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00904 Links to an external site.
Taylor, N., Clay-Williams, R., Hogden, E., Braithwaite, J., & Groene, O. (2015). High performing hospitals: a qualitative systematic review of associated factors and practical strategies for improvement. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-0879-z
