Read Case 14: Cooper Green Hospital and the Community Care Plan
Answers the following questions.
Why do you think the components of this system are underutilized? (Please note that this is not just a problem of poor marketing and communication.)
What would you do to increase the utilization of these services and attract a greater mix of paying patients? State at least four steps or actions you would take for this.
Support your responses with examples in a 2-4 page APA formatted Word Document. Include an introduction and conclusion. Cite any sources in APA format.
Sample Answer
Cooper Green Hospital and Community Care Plan
Excellent and accessible healthcare is a provision that everyone yearns to have to lead a quality life. Before introducing the Affordable healthcare act, an estimate of forty-eight million Americans were reported to be underinsured or uninsured. A more significant part of the population, especially the minorities and those living in impoverished conditions, struggled to access healthcare due to the high costs and the health care delivery problems. The community Care plan (CCP) is an initiative developed to ensure high quality and affordable healthcare is accessible to all community members (Challis et al., 2018). The plan is recognized and accredited by the National Committee of Quality Assurance (NCQA) and Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) as an effective care plan. In attempts to implement the strategies laid down by CCP, Cooper Green Hospital adopted the project to enhance the quality of its services and strengthen communication between its personnel and the clients. However, the plan adversely affected the returns of the hospital due to the recent reports of losses and customers’ withdrawal. This impact is a signal that Cooper Green underutilized all the laid down strategies of CCP, hence failing to attain its goal of partaking in improving equal access to healthcare at an affordable cost to all.
Despite Cooper green’s commitment to implement the CCP’s principles by focusing on the best services that satisfy the client, such as improving customer service and lowering the cost of insurance, its leadership and promotional strategies in implementing the plan are not fruitful. The hospital’s administration’s intent to improve customer experience and attitude towards the hospital has been challenged. These include unchanged perception from the client and negative external influences that have interdicted its inclination to the healthcare ethics and code of conduct (Cooper Green Hospital and the community care plan, 2009). Dr Michael’s strategic plan in implementing the CCP failed to accrue support from its internal staff, who had a higher role in creating awareness and attracting patients to the hospital. The modifications made by the management in delivering healthcare to a disadvantaged population to incorporate the CCP adversely affected the hospital management and service delivery. The plan called for a collaborative approach between the administration, internal staff, and other vital stakeholders. However, insufficient training of staff, inadequate utilization of resources, and inadequate awareness in the external environment by the hospital made the program incur losses.
As the CEO of Cooper Green hospital, I will modify the strategic management and service delivery in the hospital to align with the goals of the CCP and increase the influx of paying and insured patients. This process can be done best through such practical steps as developing an intervention plan to solve the problem of resource gaps in the community before implementing the plan. Also, effective management of staff for care coordination help in building a good rapport and trust between them and the patients and hence improving the hospital’s image. Such innovative activities that address community health needs as active participation and interactive forums in care delivery will help identify the community’s specific healthcare needs and mitigate suitably. Ethical standards inclination is also crucial in providing healthcare services to avoid interjection from external and government sources.
In conclusion, a community care plan is a vital tool in improving healthcare quality to the community by enhancing equal access and affordability to both the insured and uninsured populations. Cooper Green Hospital strategies to incorporate the plan proved difficult due to inappropriate design and management that drove the hospital to losses, losing its clients, and falling victims of breaking the ethical standards of healthcare. A strategic plan that considers all factors involved in providing health care to impoverished populations and mitigating accordingly will help Cooper Green hospital overcome the adversity suffered.
