Case Study Let It Our

Case Study: Let It Pour

Many times companies fail due to the inability to solve problems within their organizations. By employing critical thinking skills, managers have the tools necessary to identify and solve problems. A case study of a health care provider will reveal the need for critical thinking skills on the part of managers. First, the problem will be identified. A problem cannot be solved if it is unknown. Secondly, appropriate solutions shall be provided to allow for various choices for the resolution. Finally, rationale will be presented to enhance the credibility and support for the proposed solutions.

Problem Identification

Several problems were noted during the review of this study. Financially, these problems can create a monetary burden on the organization if not addressed. Legal fees, tort payments, and waste can financially devastate any business. Although, they were not mentioned as problems, the nature of the business practices alone could generate such problems.

First, the CEO identified the first issue of dealing with services provided. The staff has no idea what they are supposed to provide and not provide. Additionally the patients have no clear idea as to what services they are entitled to. Patients have placed high demands on the organization and the organization responds to each and every one of them.

Secondly, there are no set rules and consequences. Rules establish guidelines for the staff members to follow. Without rules in place staff members are allowed to "run out of control." Pat, the CEO, made mention of staff members violating Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) directives, filling uninsured prescriptions, counselors providing free services, and ordering futile exams for the terminally ill. Establishing rules and consequences will provide managers supporting documentation when reprimanding staff members and will allow the organization to separate personal and religious beliefs from services rendered.

Thirdly, the Faith Foundation should establish their own code of ethics for all members to sign and live by. Although physicians sign a Hippocratic oath, a separate code of ethics will again provide documentation for violations of ethics. A code of ethics will act much like a set of rules in that it will serve as a written expectation of performance.

Fourthly, the mission statement is inadequate and unclear. Without an understandable mission statement, the organization as a whole has no vision and guidance in addition to the absence of a feeling of inclusiveness by the members.

Finally, communication is a major problem. Communication alone can play a major role in solving the first four problems. In fact this is an underlying problem likely to have caused a great deal of grief for Pat and the foundation. Without an upward and downward communication channel, members of the organization have no means to express expectations of management and staff. As far as the staff are concerned, there is no leadership. Pat has not had an all staff meeting in the ten years of his service. Without these meetings, there has been an absence of leadership not to mention the familiarity among members of the organization.

Recommendations

Special consideration should be taken on the part of the CEO to solve the first problem. A written statement of services provided will serve as a testament to the staff of the services the organization as a whole will provide to its customers. No longer will staff embers be allowed to refuse services. By doing this, cost s will be reduced while differentiating between individual religious beliefs and the service those individuals will provide to their patients. A required signature of all employees as to the services provided should be implemented to create awareness of the services. Furthermore, the written list of services provided should be made available to patients upon check-in to serve again as a guideline of expectations and minimize demands of additional services not covered under the list. Again this will reduce costs due to non-traditional services being provided and not compensated for. These services should follow legal guidelines to minimize legal entanglements due to services provided based on parental wishes rather than what is best for the patient.

Rules and consequences are a must in any organization. Therefore, a written set of rules and consequences is recommended. Again after this is completed, all employees should be required to sign a copy of these rules. This will allow management to reprimand and possibly remove those who fail to follow prescribed rules. These rules should establish procedures for filling prescriptions, charging of counseling services, ordering of examinations, and billing of patients and insurance companies. Again, by accomplishing this, the organization should realize a reduction of costs do to the irregular cash flow from billing practices.

Just as setting rules and consequences to establish guidelines minimizes out of control behavior, a code of ethics will establish the expectation of performance from staff members including physicians. Again this takes the personal and religious beliefs and separates them from what the organization believes is best for the patients. For that reason, all staff members should be required to sign a written code of ethics. Although, the organization is taking a stand on potentially controversial issues, it will give power to the physicians and organization as a whole.

While, the mission statement is printed on the back of each business card, it does little good when it is inadequate. The mission statement should be re-written to strengthen the vision of the organization. The mission statement should be clear and use words which all members of the organization can identify with while maintaining the vision of the business.

Since communication is virtually non existent, there should be quarterly staff meetings held by the CEO to disseminate information concerning financial performance, new procedures and various other problems. These meeting would allow staff members to pose questions and express concerns. Upper managements should conduct monthly meetings for the same reasons as mentioned above. E-mail communications, publications, and flyers can be utilized as an additional means of communication.

Supporting the Recommendations

Dessler states a core concept in management is the Moment of Truth which is " the instant when the customer comes in contact with and aspect of a business, and based on that contact forms an opinion about the quality of your service or product." (2001, 502) To relate to this, a customer cannot forma a positive opinion

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