Introduction
Hospital management determines the quality of health care provision in any health institution (Allcorn, 1996). It demands the essence of good leadership for its smooth and effective operation in the delivery of health care services. Due to the complexity of management systems in health care institutions, there is need to understand how best teamwork and good communication practices can be enhanced. Rowland and Rowland (1984) illustrates that management system within a medical forms the basic foundation for high quality medical service delivery.
Management levels in the Hospital
According to the Alabama Department of Mental Health, Alabama, the administrative arm provides technical, financial and management support to the department’s service divisions via several specialized sections. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009) illustrates that “Medical and health services managers (healthcare executives or healthcare administrators) are charged with the roles to plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of healthcare and are in most cases, specialists in charge of a specific clinical department or generalists who manage an entire facility or system”. According to U.S Department Of Health And Human Services (2009), their role in this institution’s management affects a number of critical issues in health service delivery. In this health care facility, the administrative stays ahead in any critical decision making specifically the adoption of integrated and innovative technologies for the enhancement of high quality health care provision.
The medical arm is solely responsible for the strict observance of guidelines in health care provision as laid down by the administrative arm. This team consist of doctors, nurses, clinicians and laboratory technicians whose roles involve dealing directly with the patient. The Board of Trustees act as the overall prefect in ensuring that all medical codes and heath provision guidelines are embraced across all sectors in the health care facility.
Internal and External factors in Alabama Mental Health Care
Some of the key elements in a supportive internal environment in Alabama Mental Health Care institution include the culture as a foundation for vision and strategy, culture change through transparency, safety as a crucial element in achieving efficiency and effectiveness and leadership responsibility in setting the climate and service delivery. Internal factors range from work policy within the institution to a number of other factors such as work scheduling and the availability of adequate resources. Most research articles on this topic abide to one fact that internal factors significantly influence the quality of health care delivery.
Alabama Mental Health Care institution is also affected by a number of external environmental factors that affect this facility in both positive and negative ways. Collaboration between this health care facility and the Alabama community has provided invaluable information for adjustments in management and healthcare delivery practices. External environment that include adherence to state regulations and policies in regard to the provision of mental health care service and the role of stake holders has positively influenced the quality of heath care provision.
Conclusion
Good management practices are crucial to the effective and smooth running of a medical institution (Tang, & Timmer, 2008). In this line, the institution has adopted lean and effective operation strategies which not only increase the efficiency of the hospital but also improve on its role in the provision of medical services. The management also ensures that all the regulations and good practices are adhered to and customers and patients are given the ultimate attention they require. In conclusion, the role of the management in any medical institution must conform to its culture and create a working among the staff that devoid of stress and strain.
References
Allcorn, S. (1996). The human cost of a management failure: organizational downsizing at General Hospital. Greenwood Publishing Group.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009). Medical and Health Services Managers. Web.
Li-Ping Tang, T. & Timmer, L. S. (2008). All in the name of change: Effects of organizational change on performance measures of customer service in the health care industry. International Journal of Organizational Theory and Behavior, 11(2), 220-239
Rowland, H.S. and Rowland, B.L. (1984). Hospital management: a guide to departments Ediciones Díaz de Santos.
U.S Department Of Health And Human Services (2009). Applying High Reliability Concepts to Hospitals. Web.