Assignment 2: Middleville Regional Healthcare

Due Week 9 and worth 160 points

 

Middleville Regional Health Care is one (1) of three (3) hospitals serving a community of 350,000 people. Summary statistics on Middleville and its competitors, from the AHA Guide, are shown below in Table 1. All three organizations are not-for-profit.

 

Table 1: Middleville, Brierfield, and Greystone Health Care Systems

 

Name	Beds	Admissions	Census	OP Visits	Births	Expenses (000)	Personnel
Middleville	575	13,000	350	221,000	2,300	$125,000	2,000
Brierfield	380	17,000	260	175,000	1,200	$130,000	1,875
Greystone	350	10,000	180	40,000	900	$80,000	1,200

 

The governing board of Middleville hired a consulting company to evaluate its strategic performance, specifically in the areas of Human Resources, Information Technology, Financing, and Marketing. As part of the consultant’s evaluation, several leaders of Middleville’s units were asked their perspective of the organization’s performance.

 

You are working for the consultant. Your job is to identify the issues from the response that should be considered further by the consultant team and possibly discussed with the governing board and the CEO. The firm has a rule, “Never offer a criticism or negative finding without suggesting how the client organization can correct it,” so you must indicate what sort of correction you would recommend as part of your list. Because you know there were about two (2) dozen other interviews, you decide you should rank your issues in importance, to make sure the most critical are discussed.

 

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Explain the governing board’s role in these strategic initiatives, determining its responsibility and involvement.
2. Evidence-based management means that operational and strategic decisions are made based upon the evidence that goals and objectives are actually being met. Quantitative measurements must be identified and measured. This data is then used to evaluate the HCO’s performance. Name three (3) performances Middleville can use to measure its success in providing quality healthcare to the community, and identify quantifiable, measureable indicators that can be used to do so. Explain the importance of each performance measurement.
3. Given the statistics of Middleville and its two (2) competitors provided in Table 1, recommend to the HCO what areas it should focus on to maintain its competitive market share as well as continue to provide healthcare to the community in the 21^st century.
4. Some of Middleville’s Board members are very interested in pursuing advanced technology systems over the next five (5) years, while others are concerned about the enormous expense and need assurance that the investment in technology will be worthwhile. In both monetary and process terms, describe the costs and benefits associated with implementing EMR and associated health data systems. Lay out a plan for how various systems can be implemented.
5. Middleville has faced many challenges in recruiting and retaining nurses and other clinical employees. The economy has hit the area very hard and budgetary limitations have reduced the amount of money available for salary increases. The Board knows it needs to provide other benefits to their valued employees. Provide at least two (2) suggestions to Human Resources to promote employee satisfaction and, therefore, retain experienced personnel.
6. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
7. Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:

1. Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.

 

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

 

• Examine how healthcare management concepts and theories are applied to critical issues in healthcare organizations.
• Analyze the critical management issues, purpose, functions, and performance measures of different departments within healthcare organizations.
• Explain how public policy has shaped the development of the U.S. healthcare system.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in health services organization management.
• Write clearly and concisely about health services organization management using proper writing mechanics.

Imagine that you are a financial manager researching investments for your client. Use the Strayer Learning Resource Center to research the stock of any U.S. publicly traded company that you may consider as an investment opportunity for your client. Your investment should align with your client’s investment goals. (Note: Please ensure that you are able to find enough information about this company in order to complete this assignment. You will create an appendix, in which you will insert related information.)

The assignment covers the following topics:

Rationale for choosing the company for which to invest Ratio analysis Stock price analysis Recommendations

Refer to the following resources to assist with completing your assignment:

Stock Selection

Forbes – “Six Rules to Follow When Picking Stocks” CNN Money – “Stocks: Investing in stocks” The Motley Fool – “13 Steps to Investing Foolishly” Seeking Alpha – “The Graham And Dodd Method For Valuing Stocks” Investopedia – “Guide to Stock-Picking Strategies” Seeking Alpha – “Get Your Smart Beta Here! Dividend Growth Stocks As ‘Strategic Beta’ Investments”

Market and Company Information

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – “Market Structure” Yahoo! Finance Mergent Online (Note: This resource is also available through the Strayer Learning Resource Center.) Seeking Alpha (Note: Also available through the Android or iTunes App store.) Morningstar (Note: You can create a no-cost Basic Access account.) Research Hub, located in the left menu of your course in Blackboard.

Write a ten to fifteen (10-15) page paper in which you:

Provide a rationale for the stock that you selected, indicating the significant economic, financial, and other factors that led you to consider this stock. Suggest the primary reasons why the selected stock is a suitable investment for your client. Include a description of your client’s profile. Select any five (5) financial ratios that you have learned about in the text. Analyze the past three (3) years of the selected financial ratios for the company; you may obtain this information from the company’s financial statements. Determine the company’s financial health. (Note: Suggested ratios include, but are not limited to, current ratio, quick ratio, earnings per share, and price earnings ratio.) Based on your financial review, determine the risk level of the stock from your investor’s point of view. Indicate key strategies that you may use in order to minimize these perceived risks. Provide your recommendations of this stock as an investment opportunity. Support your rationale with resources, such as peer-reviewed articles, material from the Strayer Learning Resource Center, and reviews by market analysts. Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other similar websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Critique financial management strategies that support business operations in various market environments. Analyze financial statements for key ratios, cash flow positions, and taxation effects. Review fixed income strategies using time value of money concept, bond valuation methods, and interest rate calculations. Estimate the risk and return on financial investments. Apply financial management options to corporate finance. Determine the cost of capital and how to maximize returns. Formulate cash flow analysis for capital projects including project risks and returns. Evaluate how corporate valuation and forecasting affect financial management. Analyze how capital structure decision-making practices impact financial management. Use technology and information resources to research issues in financial management. Write clearly and concisely about financial management using proper writing mechanics.