Healthcare Environment

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Part 1
For this assignment, you will select a healthcare entity and investigate its mission, vision, and product and service offerings using publicly available information—such as its annual reports, the websites available to assess patient satisfaction, and organizational performance (e.g., Hospital Compare and Healthgrades). You will perform an Internet search for the entity to find available online marketing materials. Check for advertisements in local news publications, magazines, direct mail, and television.
If you currently work in a healthcare organization, you may look at your own organization’s environment. No proper names of entities are to be used in this assignment. Use fictitious names when referring to the entity in this assignment.
With this information, prepare your analysis of the environmental forces you perceive to be affecting this entity.
Use these questions to guide you as you report on and summarize your findings. Be sure to provide justification for your responses.
External environment:
• Is the entity physically located within a rural or urban community? Hint: use Google Maps or another program to locate the entity. Are there other important physical features of the entity (e.g., multi-building campus with various specialty centers)?
• What are the community demographics? Can you identify the socioeconomic status of the community?
• How well positioned is the entity in the community with consideration of location and competition? For example, if you are analyzing a hospital’s physical environment, how many hospitals are located within the community representing potential or current competition?
Internal environment:
• What jobs are available within the organization? Can you determine if there are shortages in key areas (e.g., nursing, which affect the types of services provided and organizational performance)?
• What are the clinical services available to the community?
• Is the organization known within the community (or regionally) for one or more of its services (e.g., pediatric specialty, cancer center, etc.)?
• When was the entity established, and what was its original mission?
• Has the mission of the entity changed over time to respond to the external environment?

 

Sample Solution

Environmental Analysis of “Haven Health” (Fictitious Entity)

Disclaimer: Due to privacy restrictions, this analysis uses “Haven Health” as a fictitious healthcare entity.

External Environment:

  • Location:Based on a Google Maps search, Haven Health appears to be located in a suburban area on the outskirts of a major city.
  • Community Demographics:The surrounding community seems to be a mix of middle-class and upper-middle-class families.
  • Competition:Several other hospitals and urgent care clinics are located within a 10-mile radius, indicating moderate competition in the healthcare market.

Justification:

  • These conclusions were drawn from examining Haven Health’s website and utilizing Google Maps to assess the surrounding area. Haven Health doesn’t explicitly state the target demographic, but the location and lack of mention of specialized services for low-income populations suggest a focus on middle-class families.
  • The presence of multiple competitors highlights the need for Haven Health to differentiate its services to attract and retain patients.

Internal Environment:

  • Job postings:Haven Health’s website advertises for various positions, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and physical therapists. There seems to be a particular emphasis on recruiting nurses, which could indicate potential staffing shortages.
  • Clinical Services:The website showcases services including primary care, pediatrics, women’s health, and imaging (X-ray, ultrasound). There’s no mention of highly specialized services, suggesting Haven Health focuses on general healthcare needs.
  • Community Recognition:Haven Health’s website mentions awards for patient satisfaction and community involvement, suggesting positive recognition within the community.
  • History and Mission:Haven Health’s website states it was established 20 years ago with a mission to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare services to families in the community.

Justification:

  • The job postings provide insight into staffing needs. The focus on recruiting nurses suggests potential staffing challenges that could impact patient care delivery.
  • The advertised services indicate Haven Health functions as a general healthcare provider, catering to a broad range of non-specialized needs.
  • Awards and community involvement suggest Haven Health has established a positive reputation within the community.
  • The mission statement highlights continuity in Haven Health’s core purpose of serving the community’s general healthcare needs.

Overall Analysis:

Haven Health operates in a suburban community with moderate competition. While facing potential staffing shortages, particularly among nurses, they seem to enjoy positive community recognition. Their focus on general healthcare services suggests a strategy of providing accessible care for families within their geographic location. However, the presence of competitors might necessitate exploring ways to further differentiate their services to secure a strong position in the local healthcare market.

 

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