The United States has various healthcare organizations that span several states. Some healthcare organizations include Dignity Health, Banner Health, Vanguard, and United Healthcare, among others. Evaluating the readiness of the healthcare organization is crucial in meeting the health requirements of the citizens in the next ten years. Dignity Health is a non-profit organization in the US with its head office in San Francisco, California. The organization has been recognized as a top-tier healthcare system in the United States. In addition, the healthcare system operates a network of specialized facilities and hospitals across the United States. Some of the specialized services offered by the healthcare organization include special medical services, preventive treatment, trauma services, management of chronic diseases, and primary care, among others. This paper evaluates the readiness of the Dignity Healthcare system as a case study to meet the healthcare requirements of US citizens in the next decade.
Describing the Healthcare Organization or Network
Dignity Health is a non-profit health organization with a network of healthcare outlets and hospitals in several areas in the US. The organization has its head office in California and is tailor-made to benefit the public. The healthcare provider happens to be the fifth-largest in the United States and the leading in California. It was started in 1986 as a Catholic healthcare provider by the Sisters of Mercy and has one of the best forms of governance platform across the country. For example, the healthcare provider has one of the best long-term plans focusing on joint ventures, sales, acquisitions, and allocating capital finances (Esfahani et al., 2018).
Describing the Organization’s Overall Readiness
Dignity Health is one organization that has always strived to implement some relevant strategies and effective policies that work towards the dynamism in the US healthcare system. Presently, millions of people access healthcare services from various healthcare providers across the US. Enhancing the quality of the provided care requires a unifying strategic approach that standardizes the provision of quality healthcare services (Thomas, 2021). Implementing an effective IT strategy has enabled the organization to collaborate and ensure that the respective health outlets exchange information for the betterment of healthcare services.
Preparing a Strategic Plan to Address Issues About Network Growth
A robust strategic plan is essential for the healthcare provider because of helping to manage the present trends in the provision of healthcare services and ensures efficiency in the years to come (Ali, 2018). For example, in the next ten years, the healthcare organization hopes to be the leading health service provider in all the regions. Therefore, such a strategic plan will allow the implementation of some effective and efficient information technology policies. Therefore, IT will enhance some transformative and standardization programs that will help streamline the organization. Such a strategic plan will assist in providing techniques that help employees accept change in the organization.
Dignity Healthcare organization faces some issues that pertain to staffing, growth, lack of patient satisfaction, and some weaknesses in resource management (Thomas, 2021). As a growing healthcare facility, Dignity Health has robust strategies for further expansion regarding enhancing its network coverage. In this case, the healthcare organization seeks to ensure that it increases the number of healthcare outlets that it already has. Transforming the existing healthcare facilities and acquiring more hospitals are its priority objectives. In the last ten years, Dignity Health has enhanced the number of its outlets by increasing new healthcare facilities and acquiring new ones.
Nurse staffing levels have also been a challenge for the healthcare facility since it has been operating. Therefore, Dignity Health has devised a mechanism of ensuring that it emphasizes the number and quality of staff working in its healthcare facilities (Esfahani et al., 2018). Recruiting qualified nursing personnel has always been one of its primary objectives. Therefore, the healthcare system has guaranteed high-quality healthcare services that benefit US citizens. The healthcare system has always had numerous open positions for qualified nurses. Having a large network of healthcare facilities has enabled the system to have many openings for nurses. For example, its Westgate Medical Center is always in need of staff, ensuring that it always seeks to fill such positions.
Dignity Health usually has open positions for administrators, managers, and other skilled employees. Although the healthcare organization has no open vacancies for CEOs, it always needs other subordinate and managerial staff. Occasionally, the healthcare facility usually recruits specialists and other local applicants living in its respective areas of jurisdiction (Ali, 2018). In addition, Dignity Health has one of the best forms of equipment resources across the United States. Thus, it offers an effective strategy when it comes to the management of resources.
Dignity is a top-tier healthcare provider in the US and ensures that it has one of the best patient satisfaction forms in the country. Therefore, the quality of the services offered in its respective outlet seems to match its core objective of being a center for providing high-quality healthcare services (Ali, 2018). Thus, the quality of services provided in its medical centers and hospitals is high, ensuring that its clientele is satisfied with the provided care. Additionally, the healthcare provider has corporate responsibility and sustainability goals, programs, and strategies that ensure patients are always satisfied. However, the healthcare organization has some challenges when it comes to balancing religious beliefs and nursing ethics.
Identifying Any Current or Potential Issues Within the Organizational Culture
Dignity Health faces some issues that involve employees resisting change. In this case, the healthcare provider applies a new approach against the conventional ways of doing things associated with hospitals (Thomas, 2021). Therefore, most employees find themselves at loggerheads with the existing corporate culture that demands employees be subject to change. Most hospital networks are Catholic, and most workers who do not subscribe to such faith usually have a problem.
Proposing a Theory or Model that Could Be Used to Support Implementation
A goal-based model would be the best for the healthcare provider, ensuring support and implementation of the plan. The model would be the most suitable because it will highlight the most relevant opportunities and challenges that the healthcare provider faces (Esfahani et al., 2018). A viable plan will focus on the organization’s core values and align them with the goals and objectives. The vision and mission statement will also play a pivotal role in ensuring that the strategic plan succeeds.
Conclusion
Dignity Health is one of the most prominent healthcare systems in the US and the entire world. In this regard, the healthcare organization has operations in various states across the United States. In addition, this organization has the potential to grow because of its brand promise of seeking expansion in various areas of the US, such as Nevada, California, and Arizona further. Dignity Health integrates and standardizes its operations, which connects its healthcare facilities across the US. Furthermore, the healthcare system always strives to enhance quality care and lower the underlying costs linked to the provision of healthcare services.
References
Ali, A. (2018). Strategic Planning-Organizational Performance Relationship: Perspectives of Previous Studies and Literature Review. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 11 (1), pp. 8-24.
Esfahani, P. et al. (2018). The Success of Strategic Planning in Healthcare Organizations of Iran. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 31 (6), pp. 563-574.
Thomas, R. (2021). Strategic Planning. Handbook of Philosophy of Management, pp. 215-245.