Pocahontas Memorial Hospital’s Strategic Alternatives
When developing strategic decisions and alternatives regarding implementing its’ rural health care satellite clinic, Pocahontas Memorial Hospital (PMH) must evaluate what strategies will benefit its’ health care center and patient population. Thus, it is paramount when developing strategic alternatives to incorporate strategies from each level within organization including corporate, divisional, organizational, and unit levels (Ginter, Duncan, & Swayne, 2013). This paper discusses PMH’s alternative strategies to alleviate their potential weaknesses and threats, attract new health care providers to the organization, apply value-adding resources, develop strategic initiatives that will progress PMH in achieving its’ strategic goals, and concludes with reasons why implementing a satellite health clinic is feasible in Pocahontas County.
Strategies to Alleviate PMH’s Weaknesses
When developing strategic plans that will progress PMH into the future, it is beneficial for its’ leaders to identify potential internal weaknesses and external threats that could make the attainment of their strategic goals difficult. For instance, weaknesses facing PMH include: many of PMH’s customers live below the poverty line so they cannot afford health care and transportation to PMH; PMH experiences high rates of preventable hospital admissions that could have been avoided if their patients accessed preventive or chronic disease services earlier; a large portion of PMH’s patients practice unhealthy lifestyle habits; PMH’s patients experience high rates of chronic disease; and PMH is experiencing internal health care provider staffing shortages (PMH, n.d.). Therefore, a satellite clinic meets PMH’s divisional level market wide strategy of increasing patients’ access to comprehensive outpatient primary care health services at lower costs and decreasing wait times at its’ main facility (Ellis & Razavi, 2013). Another, a divisional implementation action plan PMH’ can execute to remain competitive is creating a transportation service from its’ rural health clinic in the main hospital and the satellite clinic to increase patients’ accessibility to its’ outpatient primary care and specialty health services. Additionally, a market entry reconfigure the value chain strategy PMH rural satellite clinic can employ is implementing a telemedicine technology system that will facilitate PMH’s health care providers and patients’ access to additional specialty health care services (Durate, Goodson, & Dougherty, 2014). Likewise, a corporate market entry cooperation strategy for PMH satellite clinic is building strategic partnerships with specialty health care providers and telemedicine consulting groups to provide new specialty rotating clinics (i.e. mental health and oncology) to its’ consumers (Porter & Lee, 2013). These alternative strategies provide PMH with a competitive advantage by providing access to outpatient specialty services that its’ patients desire, but currently cannot receive at PMH. Strategies to Alleviate PMH’s Threats Consequently, there are also external threats facing PMH ability to deliver quality health care services. For instance, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires health care centers to provide quality health information data regarding the care they provide before they can receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement (CMS, n.d.). In addition, PMH’s competitors offer similar primary care services, requiring PMH to find inventive methods to remain competitive. Lastly, there is a U.S. shortage of primary care providers throughout the nation, making it difficult to recruit new providers, especially in rural areas that are less lucrative than urban areas to physicians (Mann, Schuetz, & Rubin-Johnston, 2010). This problem is compounded by the fact that primary care providers’ salaries are considerably less …show more content…
Include vital internal and external stakeholders in the development of the satellite clinic to ensure all interested parties are included in decisions regarding where the clinic will be located and what services will be provided (Durate et al., 2014). Increase accessibility to quality preventive and chronic disease management services for Pocahontas County’s population (Mann et al., 2010). Initiate patient-centered, value-based clinic processes that will increase health care quality and decrease costs (Porter & Lee, 2013). Implement innovative electronic technologies that will increase health care access, quality, and coordination for PMH’s employees and patients (Durate et al., 2014). Finally, apply data management processes and technologies to better monitor Pocahontas County’s population health data and initiate action plans to combat the rise of chronic disease in the community (CDC,
When developing strategic decisions and alternatives regarding implementing its’ rural health care satellite clinic, Pocahontas Memorial Hospital (PMH) must evaluate what strategies will benefit its’ health care center and patient population. Thus, it is paramount when developing strategic alternatives to incorporate strategies from each level within organization including corporate, divisional, organizational, and unit levels (Ginter, Duncan, & Swayne, 2013). This paper discusses PMH’s alternative strategies to alleviate their potential weaknesses and threats, attract new health care providers to the organization, apply value-adding resources, develop strategic initiatives that will progress PMH in achieving its’ strategic goals, and concludes with reasons why implementing a satellite health clinic is feasible in Pocahontas County.
Strategies to Alleviate PMH’s Weaknesses
When developing strategic plans that will progress PMH into the future, it is beneficial for its’ leaders to identify potential internal weaknesses and external threats that could make the attainment of their strategic goals difficult. For instance, weaknesses facing PMH include: many of PMH’s customers live below the poverty line so they cannot afford health care and transportation to PMH; PMH experiences high rates of preventable hospital admissions that could have been avoided if their patients accessed preventive or chronic disease services earlier; a large portion of PMH’s patients practice unhealthy lifestyle habits; PMH’s patients experience high rates of chronic disease; and PMH is experiencing internal health care provider staffing shortages (PMH, n.d.). Therefore, a satellite clinic meets PMH’s divisional level market wide strategy of increasing patients’ access to comprehensive outpatient primary care health services at lower costs and decreasing wait times at its’ main facility (Ellis & Razavi, 2013). Another, a divisional implementation action plan PMH’ can execute to remain competitive is creating a transportation service from its’ rural health clinic in the main hospital and the satellite clinic to increase patients’ accessibility to its’ outpatient primary care and specialty health services. Additionally, a market entry reconfigure the value chain strategy PMH rural satellite clinic can employ is implementing a telemedicine technology system that will facilitate PMH’s health care providers and patients’ access to additional specialty health care services (Durate, Goodson, & Dougherty, 2014). Likewise, a corporate market entry cooperation strategy for PMH satellite clinic is building strategic partnerships with specialty health care providers and telemedicine consulting groups to provide new specialty rotating clinics (i.e. mental health and oncology) to its’ consumers (Porter & Lee, 2013). These alternative strategies provide PMH with a competitive advantage by providing access to outpatient specialty services that its’ patients desire, but currently cannot receive at PMH. Strategies to Alleviate PMH’s Threats Consequently, there are also external threats facing PMH ability to deliver quality health care services. For instance, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires health care centers to provide quality health information data regarding the care they provide before they can receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement (CMS, n.d.). In addition, PMH’s competitors offer similar primary care services, requiring PMH to find inventive methods to remain competitive. Lastly, there is a U.S. shortage of primary care providers throughout the nation, making it difficult to recruit new providers, especially in rural areas that are less lucrative than urban areas to physicians (Mann, Schuetz, & Rubin-Johnston, 2010). This problem is compounded by the fact that primary care providers’ salaries are considerably less …show more content…
Include vital internal and external stakeholders in the development of the satellite clinic to ensure all interested parties are included in decisions regarding where the clinic will be located and what services will be provided (Durate et al., 2014). Increase accessibility to quality preventive and chronic disease management services for Pocahontas County’s population (Mann et al., 2010). Initiate patient-centered, value-based clinic processes that will increase health care quality and decrease costs (Porter & Lee, 2013). Implement innovative electronic technologies that will increase health care access, quality, and coordination for PMH’s employees and patients (Durate et al., 2014). Finally, apply data management processes and technologies to better monitor Pocahontas County’s population health data and initiate action plans to combat the rise of chronic disease in the community (CDC,