Healthcare is one of the greatest significant sectors of any Global economy. Statisticians provide that the healthcare sector is one of the greatest determinants of a country’s economy. Therefore, the need for a coordinated healthcare organization. A coordinated health care organization refers to a network of all healthcare providers who team up and work together in their regional or local community to meet the set objective (Oregon Health Policy Board, 2009).
Whereas there exist some similarities between health care organizations and other industries, it is dangerous to have a belief that one can define healthcare by a standard business model like other industries. While other organizations deal with goods and services, health care organizations deal with healthcare. This is remarkably different from goods and services. In addition, the control of healthcare organizations over their mandate in various issues is limited. For instance, there are a few ways in which the emergence department of an organization can influence the number of people coming for services (Rosenal & Rosenal, P3, 2006). They continue that, though health care organizations have the legal mandate to safeguard the population health they serve, the only and indirect way in which they can affect the number of people presenting for healthcare is by tying funding to the need. Yet another, It is the non-profit making providers that dominate various segments of healthcare. At the same time, third parties such as private insurers and the government make payments. Though most of these factors may apply in other industries, there is no industry where they all apply as in health care organizations (Morresy, 2006).
Research shows that healthcare providers are the principal determinant of any healthcare organizational structure and culture. While there are other common types of healthcare providers, the providers discussed here include patients and families, clinical practitioners, and the healthcare authority executive team.
The CEO (chief executive officer) heads the regional health organization and recounts to the board of Governors. The CEO heads an executive team of “vice-presidents” or “officers” that is the CNO (Chief Nurse Officer), COO (Chief Operating Officer), CMO (Chief Medical and the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) depending on the size of the local structure and culture of the organization (Rosenal & Rosenal p 4, 2006). They also state that the executive team is responsible for identifying and determining the vision and mission of the organization. In addition, they contend that they have the legal mandate in responding to the needs of the community and maintaining the present strategic plan. Yet another is the allocation of resources. The basic function of the Board of Directors is to assist the executive team to understand the needs of communities.
Therefore, the organizational structure, objective, coordination, and culture in which the executive team should work need to allow them to do a consistent and comprehensive assessment of the organization. If the organizations provide these factors, the executive team can then be able to apply the transformational model. They then use the findings to form a complete recommendation design for the ideal future (Oregon Health Policy Board, 2009). Among other factors, the organization in which they ought to work in should also enable them to carry out the following tasks.
First is the design of the organization’s basic principle. The structure of the organization should be flexible enough to allow them not only to design the principles around process, customer types, technology, and functions but also consider the external environment at large. Secondly, the healthcare executive team should work in an organization with a system of coordination that can enable them to streamline the core business processes. Core business processes are businesses that result in customer (patient) delivery and /or revenue. The culture of the organization should provide a good platform for not only employees’ interrelation, but also organization-to-organization relationships.
The procedures for carrying out activities in the organization should be documented and standardized. This is because the rules and regulations formed by the executive team need to be implemented. Therefore to ease implementation, the procedures used in carrying out these activities should be documented (Organizational Design Consultants, Leadership Development, & Training, 2008). Finally, the objectives of this organization should be achievable. This means that the time stipulated for the long term, and short-term is reasonable enough concerning the set objectives.
Clinical practitioners are healthcare providers that are substantially in contact with customers (patients and families) in healthcare organizations. This implies that they are the greatest determinant of work and idea implementation from the top authority of a healthcare organization. Moreover, they portray the image of organizational culture and structure. Therefore, the organization with which they need to work with should allow them to carry out such activities as organizational system thinking, facilitation of learning and collaboration, and participation in decision making.
Successes of any healthcare organization need a thorough understanding of the system theory. An example of an illustration of the application of system thinking in various large BC agencies is the standardization of all clinical procedures and policies in a healthcare organization. For instance, Winds Healthcare Professional limited in British Columbia in Canada has provided a Thoracic Societal Clinical practice guideline for clinical practitioners that provide a review for diseases including spinal cord injury, myotonic dystrophy, kyphoscoliosis, hypoventilation central syndrome, etc. This guideline has been useful for their clinical practitioners and has also been reviewed by international professionals (Mckim et al, 2011). The organization coordination mechanism should initiate interdepartmental and interpersonal association and collaboration. This is crucial in enabling advanced clinical practice and brings a significant improvement to a complex system (Pasternack, & Viscio, 2010).
In addition, the organization should provide facilities and financial support to Clinical practitioners in facilitating learning in an organization. Educational needs can be required either by an individual or a large number of people. Therefore, the organization should come in and provide equipment such as projectors that practitioners can use when demonstrating in the seminar (Pasternack & Viscio, 2010).
Any successful organization would require Patient and family knowledge, beliefs, values, choices, and cultural backgrounds in care delivery and planning. Therefore, the structure and perspective, culture, and design of an organization should provide an interactive platform for information sharing. This will enable families and patients to participate reasonably in making decisions of the organization (Matzo & Sherman, 2001).
Organizations provide professionals that can take a step further to ensure that the patients’ homes are favorable for their healing. For instance, VitalAire healthcare in Canada provides healthcare professionals an extensive clinical network, education, and follow-up for family and patients along with even medical gases. They also provide cost-effective solutions hence helping patients live comfortably (VitalAire Canada, 2011).
In this description, I have assumed that the above (Health authority executive, clinical practitioners, and patients and families) are the only healthcare providers. This paper has dealt with the three healthcare providers and the organizational structure that each provider would work in along with the justification using relevant examples. The structure, culture, perspective, objective, and the system coordination mechanism of an organization in which the providers above ought to work must favor the tasks of each provider as stated.
References
Matzo, M., & Sherman, D. W. (2001). Palliative care nursing: quality care to the end of life. New York, NY: Springer Pub.
Mckim, D.etal. (2011).Pulsus. Respiratory Journal, 18(4), 197-215. Web.
Morrisey, m. (2006). Health Care: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics | Library of Economics and Liberty. Library of Economics and Liberty. Web.
Oregon Health Policy Board. (2009). State of Oregon: State of Oregon. Web.
Organizational Design Consultants, Leadership Development, & Training —. (2008). Organizational Design Consultants, Leadership Development, & Training —. Web.
Pasternack, B. A., & Viscio, A. J. (2010). The Centerless Corporation: A Model for Tomorrow. strategy+business: international business strategy news articles and award-winning analysis. Web.
Rosenal, T., & Rosenal, L. (2006). Healthcare Organizational Structures in Regions and Acute Care. Rosenal – Health professions, 2, 3.
VitalAire Canada – Report – Business Review Canada. (2011). Canada News | Canada Business News | News for North America | Business Review Canada. Web.
