Term Paper on "Healthcare Management Many Elements"

Term Paper 6 pages (2037 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Healthcare Management

Many elements are involved in effective communication. The outcome of such communication is that the audience hears and retains most of what was said. Elements such as setting, intonation, and the emotions of both listeners and speakers, along with other factors play a role in the effectiveness of bringing the message across. It is therefore important that a manager in the health care field ensure that as many as possible barriers to effective communication be identified and removed for the optimal functioning the facility under his or her care. Key elements that play a role are emotions, technical jargon, the length of the message, interest level, educational level, and distractions. If the emotions of the audience are negative towards the speaker, the message is for example less effective. The manager therefore has to monitor all interpersonal relationships at the organization in order to determine the suitability of the speaker to the specific communication role. Furthermore, the manager should ensure that the audience is fairly homogeneous in terms of education and experience, so that technical jargon does not detract from the meaning of the message. As listening is an active process, the audience can become worn out by a message that is excessively lengthy. Distractions around the venue should also be minimized. This could be accomplished by dim lighting around the audience while the speaker is highlighted with brighter lighting effects.

2. Perhaps the reason for the lack of prominence for listening skills in education programs is the fact that the skill is taken more or less for granted. Often hearing and listening are taken as interchangeable term

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s, although the former is passive while the latter is active. The assumption is that all persons who are not hearing impaired are natural listeners. This is not the case. Indeed, there are five different levels of listening, each with a progressive degree of effectiveness. These include ignoring, pretending, selective listening, attentive listening, and finally emphatic listening. As a manager, it is vitally important to me to optimize the listening levels of my employees, as this ensures the most effective outcomes of our important function in society. My attention to this matter is particularly important in the light of the lack of attention in the educational paradigm. According to Nadig (2006), the optimal level of listening, emphatic listening, focuses on the speaker. The listener focuses on the message and identifies what is said and how the information relates to him- or herself. The other levels of listening, with decreasing degrees, focuses on the listener rather than the speaker. In optimizing the listening level at my organization, I would then first identify any barriers to active listening in my staff and try to eliminate these. Nadig for example suggests that elements such as preoccupation could present problems for listening. When barriers are removed, I will subsequently work towards optimizing my speaking skills, as well as those of the other speakers in my organization.

3. Networking is a vitally important concept in any business, and particularly in health care. It is the process of making new acquaintances that can further the aims and goals of the organization. Particularly with the current difficulties and crises faced by the health care professional, networking can help to not only mitigate these, but also to find creative solutions for the benefit of the societies that health care providers serve. Indeed, this should be our primary aim. According to Gordon (2008), the neglect of networking can severely hamper the success of any business. Furthermore, the author notes that the concept has been made much easier and less time consuming by electronic communication and the Internet. Rather than therefore having to travel for hours for this purpose, the time consumed by networking and research can be greatly reduced by supplementing real-time travel and meetings with online resources. Whichever way is used, networking involves making acquaintances that can further the goals and be generally beneficial to the business person. Personally, networking can therefore be of benefit to me if I am in need of resources, information, or opportunities to be of help to the public that I serve.

It can also help in terms of ethics: if I am for example faced by an ethical dilemma, my network connections can help me in terms of an external opinion.

4. The establishment of external coalitions, as mentioned by the case study, benefits the CEO by establishing him as a respected expert in his field. His many professional involvements in the external coalitions, as well as his writing activities connects him with many opportunities to further both himself and the company in his charge in the health care profession. The business itself benefits by being the most prominent of its kind in the health care environment. By association, the managers and employees benefit in terms of work security, possible bonuses, and raises. Further work opportunities are also created for future employees, as a higher competitive visibility means more clients and concomitantly more work and more funds. The clients of Urbanwide Health Plan benefit by receiving the best value for money, as the CEO's connection with external coalitions enables him to select the best practices and approaches for the clients.

Among these many advantages, a disadvantage that the manager of Urbanwide may face is the infrequent hours spent in the office. Crises and personnel matters therefore need to be handled by subordinates, who may at times not be adequately equipped for the job. However, I do believe that the advantages of such a managing style outweighs the disadvantages. Technology such as cell phones and electronic mail can contribute greatly towards mitigating the disadvantages.

5. My biggest obstacle during the design process of an Adult Day Care Center is probably the many different and divergent tasks of which I need to keep track. There are many things to keep in mind during such a process, and one of my fears is that I could overlook something important. However, I have many networking connections with other professional in the field, which I can use for reference if I am uncertain of anything, or if I want to check that all my preparations are in place. Some of the steps towards accomplishing my goal will involve the following: The first step is considering the interior of the establishment. According to Moore (2005), the facilities currently available fall somewhat short of the ideal, which is to create a space where clients feel comfortable and calm. Firstly, I will need experts in interior design and architecture to create the calming atmosphere that I am aiming for. I will need a spacious reception area, as well as a general recreation room for my clients. Furthermore, I will also need an outside enclosure where clients can feel safe while connecting with nature. Secondly, I need sufficient and professional personnel to care for the needs of my clients. Many of my staff will therefore be nursing and psychiatric professionals.

6. According to Nielsen (2002), the main varying degrees that determine alliance types include control and integration. Ad-hoc agreements for example involve a low degree of control and integration, with each partner basically retaining the pre-agreement level of autonomy. This is followed in terms of increasing control and integration by non-equity joint ventures, equity joint ventures, and mergers & acquisitions, which involves one company mostly or completely taking control of another. In the health care environment I would prefer not to be associated with mergers and acquisitions unless there is no other choice.

Mergers and acquisitions are generally unpleasant, as they involve large amounts of stress related to restructuring and job losses. The highest level of alliance that I would prefer to be associated with is non-equity joint ventures, with a greater preference for ad-hoc agreements, as these generally tend to be favorable for all parties involved, and there is generally no loss of control or great degree of change for the companies involved.

7. Alliance problems can generally be related to a basis of fundamental misunderstanding and/or mismatch of principles between the parties involved. Elements such as parochial self-interest, assessment differences, and ambiguity tolerance are for example related to difficulties of principles, while misunderstanding and a lack of trust relate to fundamental issues of interpersonal understanding.

Both categories of principles and interpersonal understanding can be remedied by targeted and effective communication. Depending on the severity of the problem, I would therefore begin by holding individual meetings with each person involved. I will do so in conjunction with an uninvolved party in order to ensure impartiality and fairness. After considering each viewpoint, I will hold a collective meeting to present each viewpoint in as calm and clear a manner as possible.

8. Senge's five learning disciplines can be explicated as follows:

Personal Mastery refers to a view of individual desired results in conjunction with the realistic current state of their lives. The tension between vision and reality provides a platform for more effective choices. The second discipline is Mental Models, which refers to… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Healthcare Management Many Elements" Assignment:

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Your answer to each essay question should be complete approx. 200 words.

1. Consider and discuss the role each of the following plays in determining whether effective communication does or does not take place: emotions, use of technical jargon, length of the message, interest level of the audience, educational level of the audience, and distractions. Identify each of these as an environment barrier or a personal barrier to communication. Finally, as a manager of a health care facility, suggest what you might do to overcome each of these barriers to communication.

2. The importance of listening, as a managerial skill, specifically relates to improving communications and coordination within an organization and to determining if effective understanding of a message has occurred. Recognizing that the basic methods of human communication are writing, reading, speaking, and listening, offer an explanation that justifies why there are required courses--at all levels of education for these methods--with the exception of listening. Listening is a learned skill, similar to any other type of communication. Research the five levels of listening--ignoring, pretending, selective listening, attentive listening and emphathic listening--and suggest how, as a health care manager, you would focus your managerial skills to ensuring that your employees are listening at the optimal levels.

3. Networking, as an integral component of politics, is a concept health care organizations and employees should practice. Describe what is involved in networking. Explain the value of building relationships based on mutually beneficial exchanges. Discuss how the adage, *****You scratch my back, and I*****ll scratch yours,***** applies to the concepts of networking and politics? Describe how the element of trust plays into the establishment of networking relationships. Express your opinion on the relevance of ethical issues that are involved in organizational politics.

4. Refer to the *****In Practice***** insert on page 291*****”*****Building External Coalitions Results in Internal Success.***** Explain how the establishment of external coalitions should benefit the CEO of Urbanwide Health Plan. Explain how the establishment of external coalitions should benefit Urbanwide Health Plan. Explain how the establishment of external coalitions should benefit the managers and employees of Urbanwide Health Plan. Explain how the establishment of external coalitions should benefit the clients of Urbanwide Health Plan. As a manager of Urbanwide Health Plan, cite any disadvantages that you might deal with, because of your CEO*****s involvement in the many coalitions listed. Would you prefer to work for a CEO as involved as John O*****Conner, or would you prefer a CEO who spends more time *****at his desk?***** Why?

5. You have dreamed of opening an Adult Day Care Center for elderly clients with early and middle stage dementias, in an area that currently has no such service. You recognize that your clients will need a range of multidisciplinary services. You have negotiated with the city's Public Housing Authority to use their multi-purpose facility for a $1/year rental fee. How would you begin designing your organization and the positions and/or teams necessary to provide the services? What would you consider as your biggest obstacle in getting your organization through the design process? Why?

6. Alliances vary in regard to ownership, control, size, governance, and nature of participation. Compare and contrast the types and forms of alliances. As a prospective manager for a health services organization, which type/form of alliance would you least like to be associated with? Which type/form of alliance would you most like to be associated with? Justify your answer.

7. Recognizing the four categories of alliance problems--parochial self-interest, misunderstanding and a lack of trust, different assessments, and low tolerance for ambiguity--identify which treatment/s you would use to eliminate and/or correct the problem. Explain your reasons for your choices.

8. The "learning organization" was popularized by Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline. Describe each of Senge's five learning disciplines, detailing how each discipline is of importance to an effective health care learning organization. In your opinion, which of Senge's disciplines is the most difficult for a learning organization to master? Is one discipline more vital than the others to the success of a learning organization? Why or why not?

9. Refer to "In Practice: Stakeholder Interest: Corporate Responsibility for Disclosure of Scientific Evidence in Medicine" on pages 432-433, which chronicles the law suit filed by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer against GlaxoSmithKline. Explain how this article relates to quality assurance and quality improvement. Discuss the FDA's role in this situation and how it applied principles of quality assurance and quality improvement. Do you feel that GlaxoSmithKline should be held liable? Why or why not?

10. When considering the issue of quality improvement in health services organizations, there are conflicting views on how best to achieve the improvement, in the most effective manner. The most popular options for "the road to quality improvement" claim it can best be reached by changes in the organization and management of patient care units, by the availability of state of the art technology, by increased clinician competence and skills, or by the degree of teaching activity occurring? In your opinion, where should the greatest emphasis be placed? Why? Which option do you consider to be the most "doable?" Why? Which option do you consider to be the most difficult to achieve? Why?

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