Assignment: Prioritize the Operational Challenges, Trends, and Issues for U.S. Healthcare Executives
Week 2—Assignment: Prioritize the Operational Challenges, Trends, and Issues for U.S. Healthcare Executives
Instructions
Financial challenges associated with changes to how healthcare organizations are reimbursed
for healthcare services, the cost of implementing new technology and professionals to
comply with federal requirements for electronic health records, and the increasing numbers
of individuals who cannot pay for their healthcare represent only one issue for healthcare
executives in the healthcare delivery system. But it has significant consequences for the
viability and solvency of healthcare organizations. Healthcare executives don’t have a crystal
ball; however, they do engage in forecasting the future based on what is currently known and
examination of trends (Lee, 2015). To do this type of forecasting, healthcare executives are
demonstrating techniques found in anticipatory management. According to their seminal
research, Ashley and Morrison (1997) reported there are severe consequences for not
anticipating future trends in a rapidly changing and complex society. The anticipatory
management process they describe begins with scanning the environment to identify issues;
creating issues briefs to inform stakeholders; prioritizing issues; assembling the team of
experts; creating, implementing, and evaluating action plans and outcomes; and adjusting the
course when necessary.
Last week, you compared healthcare delivery and costs in the United States with those in
developed countries. This week, you will focus U.S. healthcare executives and how they
prioritize the challenges confronting them to minimize the impact to their organizations.
As you prepare your assignment, consider these questions:
What challenges you have experienced in the healthcare workplace or when you have
accessed your own healthcare provider?
Have you observed changes to how your personal health information is gathered and
documented?
What technology is now being used which may be new to your workplace? Were you required to take additional training in your current healthcare position due
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to the implementation of new technology?
Have you experienced a shortage of healthcare personnel in your workplace or at your
healthcare provider’s office?
What effect have these situations had on you as the employee and patient?
After your examination of current literature on the trends, issues, and challenges for
healthcare executives and their organization’s review Ashley and Morrison’s seminal article
(1997) on anticipatory management and utilize the sample chart shown for this assignment.
You may recreate this four-column table in a Word document and insert your issues/trends,
identify which organizational area is/will be impacted by each issue/trend, and provide your
rationale for the priority level you assigned each issue/trend. Be sure to use a title page for
this assignment and a reference page in APA format. You will add rows to your table as
needed to include all identified issues and trends.
Table 1. Sample Chart
Priority Issue/trend (write these as statements)
Organizational Area of Impact (indicate which department/division effected by the issue/trend (write these as department names)
Rationale for Priority Level (write these as verb phrases)
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Submissions
Priority Issue/trend (write these as statements)
Organizational Area of Impact (indicate which department/division effected by the issue/trend (write these as department names)
Rationale for Priority Level (write these as verb phrases)
1. Ex.: Financial challenges— Medicare reimbursements —Value-based Payment Program
Ex.: Business Office— Finance; Accounting; Budget Office, Facilities Management, Purchasing, Human Resources, Patient Services
A decline and/or delay in revenue limits types of services provided, reduces purchasing power, delays vendor payments, halts capital improvements, freezes filling vacant nursing positions
2.
3.
4.
Length: The length of this document will vary based on your findings; include the table and a
summary of your findings using a minimum of 5 pages not including the title page and
reference page.
References: A minimum of 5 scholarly resources
Upload your document and click the Submit to Dropbox button.
