Public vs. Private Health, Ambulatory Care, and the Hospital Services
Answers should be succinct and appropriate responses to the questions asked below. Paraphrasing the questions in your answers will help ensure that you will answer all parts of each question. 1. Do you agree with the author that “All parties must (make) a tremendous focused effort on preventing illness and disease rather than just treating it after it occurs”? What effect do you think success in this effort would have on physicians? Insurers? Hospitals? Consumers? 2. What are some of the challenges and survival strategies of hospitals today? Who are the decision makers, i.e., the "three sources of power and authority" in a typical hospital organization and their roles in meeting these challenges and in strategizing for success? 3. Many hospitals today are focusing their organizational resources on becoming a Center of Excellence, concentrating on one or more categories of disease or special types of service. What do you see as some of the forces driving hospitals? Can you think of a hospital or health system in your area that is promoting itself as the "heart" center, the "women's health" center, or some other specialty area? This is sometimes termed "boutique" healthcare. Does this seem like a good strategy in today's health care market?
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Public vs. Private Health, Ambulatory Care, and the Hospital Services
I concur that every party has to make a significant focused effort to prevent both disease and illness instead of only treating it after it has occurred. This is because everyone – communities, healthcare organizations, businesses, the government, educators, and each individual American – has role to play in creating a healthier nation. Prevention will help in improving people’s health, prosperity and quality of life (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). In essence, preventing will help in creating healthier communities, workplaces, homes and schools. In so, people will be able to live long, productive lives and it will decrease the costs of healthcare. Success in this effort would lead to major cost savings to hospitals, insurers, consumers and physicians (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).
The key themes that emerge from the reform law including accountability, quality and costs would put an undeniable squeeze on many healthcare organizations, especially community hospitals. The challenges include increasing bad debts, decreasing volume, altering Medicare reimbursement models and shrinking Medicaid payments. Other challenges are uncertainty that surrounds the healthcare reform, increased competition for certain physicians, increased concerns over infection control, questions over appropriate care, and regulatory challenges (Das, 2013). The survival strategies include consolidating, competing aggressively for physicians, promoting the services of the institution, developing captive distribution systems in order to control patient flow, a...