*********** please response to each discussion question answer below with a paragraph add citations and references :)*******

Response one: In the quickly changing field of health care, the need for strategic planning is crucial. A common denominator in successful firms is their ability to anticipate needs and plan for the future (Norris, 2016). With advancements in technology, including artificial intelligence and automation, hospitals need to be on the cutting edge to thrive and adapt. Strategic planning involves planning for expected changes in the future as well as planning for the unexpected. This involves planning and budgeting for available human resources, determining new pathways for an organization to follow, ensuring that cutting-edge equipment is available for improved patient care, determining training and software needs, and even determining growing or decreasing departments to meet these needs.

An organization that is structured to allow communication to flow freely from all areas in the organization, from top to bottom, is essential for strategic planning. Creating company goals and objectives in this manner, absorbing insight from every level within the organization and helps to promote cohesiveness, shared values, and passion (Whitney, 2018).

Embracing technology and utilizing tools that provide predictive and graphical pictures are essential to understanding where the organization is currently at and how to address future development, planning, and resource allocation (Lovrien & Peterson, 2016). Other important tools that may be used include budgeting software, communication software that allows for efficient sharing of ideas and reduces the need to travel to meetings and utilizing human resources from every level to gain insight and first-hand accounts of current issues and opportunities for improvement.

References

Lovrien, K., & Peterson, L. (2016). Current trends in health system strategy and planning: New drivers, themes, tools, and approaches. Becker’s Hospital Review. Retrieved from https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/human-capita…

Norris, T. (2016). Why is strategic planning so important? Retrieved from https://www.healthcaremgmt.com/why-is-strategic-pl…

Whitney, S. (2018). Roles and responsibilities in leadership and management. In Nursing leadership & management. [Academic Web Services]. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs451vn/nursing-leadershi…

Response two: strategic planning in health care organizations involves outlining the actionable steps needed to reach specific goals. While there are different strategy types and levels, the purpose of all strategies is to bring an organization’s actions into alignment with its stated mission or values. Healthcare is continuously changing with high tech computers and technology. In the past paper charts were used while facilities are now adapting to EMR’s which enhance the ability to share medical information in a timely manner with specialists, hospitals, laboratories, and radiology facilities. It is essential to plan for the future, develop a budget, have a strategic plan for all expected and unexpected issues. With new equipment that become available, facilities have ongoing education sessions with their staff members so everyone can learn and perform at the best of their ability. A facility should plan daily huddles that allows for healthcare teams to hear the goals for the day. At this time staff can also communicate their needs and concerns in a professional manner. Everyone that is apart of the unit should be included in these huddles so that each of them feel they are an essential part of the team (Whitney, 2018). This is an example of how effective strategic planning can allow for growth within the healthcare team. Communication is an essential tool for strategic planning and will ensure everyone is on board or has an opportunity to verbalize their ability or issue with the new technology. Usually there are sign in sheets during education sessions so it is on record who did or did not attend. An outside company may present a demonstration on how to use new equipment and answer any questions staff may have. Some of the key areas that a hospital strategic plan can significantly improve include: company culture, goals and objectives, operating budgeting, service line decisions, risk management, capital planning, cost accounting, and long range forecasting.

Randolph, (2019). Strategic Planning In Hospitals; https://www.stratadecision.com/healthcare-and-hospital-strategic-planning/

Whitney, S. (2018). Roles and responsibilities in leadership and management. In Nursing leadership & management. [Academic Web Services]. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs451vn/nursing-leadershi…

Response three: Strategic planning in healthcare involves creating objectives and setting goals for where a company would like to go in the future, and then constructing a plan to achieve these objectives. One of the common factors found in most successful industries or organizations is that they take the time to look into the future and determine where they want to go and how to get there. Organizations that regularly take the time to fully engage in this process have a much greater chance of being financially successful.

Health care industries undergo different changes on regular basis. Hospital strategic plan allows for more efficiency in all aspects of the business, no matter how big or small. In addition to this, Strata (2019) pointed out that healthcare planning must take into account potential government policy changes, technological advancements and economic trends that could significantly change an organization’s operations The aim of strategic planning is to channel the resources on the set goals, by so doing; challenges that will prevent healthcare industry from reaching its potential will be identified. Once those challenges are identified, they can implement and execute the steps necessary to remove or minimize those issues. The result is that a stronger, healthier organization that can confidently move forward in a rapidly changing world has been established.

Factors that can affect future planning in an organization will be to evaluate company resources. Bearing in mind that, an idea and developing a plan for the organization can help the industry succeed, but if the organization does not have the resources to put the plans together, it can affect the progress. So, an evaluation of the resources necessary to complete the project, comparing it to the available resources the organization has should be considered. Also, organizations priorities and planning process is another factors. Every organizations priority is to generate revenue. But, if something comes up along the line that will jeopardize the plan, then you have to put the planning aside until the issue is resolved. This can interfere with the planning process sometimes. As a result, each of the issues facing the organizations should be on priority basis. That way, it can determine which issue will wait until the process is completed. Tools to use for future planning are finance, personnel, access to material etc.

Reference

Strata (2019) Strategic planning in hospitals. Strata Decision Technology. Retrieved August 6, 2019 from https://www.stratadecision.com/healthcare-and-hosp…