Recommend a Health Information Technology (HIT) system that includes an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the new practice to implement

Assignment 2: Operations Planning for a Group Medical Practice
No Plagiarism
Imagine that a group of physicians who are planning to open a single-specialty group practice has hired you as a consultant. Your job is to advise the physicians in creating a business plan that includes management strategies that will help ensure their success. The physicians have stipulated that the plan must promote medical excellence and limit their exposure to risks associated with the practice of medicine and the operational functions of the practice. In addition, they are aware that a public health emergency or natural disaster could have had a significant impact on their practice, and want to include a strategy for emergency preparedness as part of their plan so that they will be able to manage their patients and help serve the community as needed.
Write a five ( 5 ) page paper in which you:

Compare and contrast the two (2) main levels (i.e., internal comparison and external comparison) of financial benchmarking. Next, analyze the strategic purpose of each level of benchmarking and specify the overall importance of benchmarking as a financial planning tool for a medical practice.
Recommend a Health Information Technology (HIT) system that includes an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the new practice to implement. Support your recommendation by determining three (3) main benefits of having this type of system for the practice.
According to the text (page 368), some of the main areas of risk exposure for a group practice include: property (general liability and safety), technology, and financial practices. Determine one (1) specific hazard associated with one (1) of these risk categories and propose a strategy to mitigate the impact this risk could have on the practice. Support your analysis with a real-life example.
Determine the main functions of the practice that will need to remain operational before, during, and / or after a natural disaster or public health emergency. Next, suggest a strategy that the practice should take to maintain communication with employees and patients, secure patient and financial records, and ensure that resources will available to care for patients during a disaster or emergency. Provide a rationale for your response.
Use at least three (3) quality academic resources. Note: Wikipedia does not qualify as an academic resource.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:

Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
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.
Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.

Discuss the sociological study of health and medicine in society

In which forms of government do average citizens have the least and most political power? What options might they have for exerting political power under this type of government? In your response, also discuss voter participation in the U.S. Explain how a voter’s social class and other social factors can affect his or her voting practices. Besides voting, how can U.S. citizens influence political processes and outcomes? Have you personally used any of these strategies?

350 word
· Apply a sociological perspective to the social world.
•Analyze contemporary social issues using the sociological imagination and use sociological theories and concepts to analyze everyday life.
•Interpret the United States economy and politics.
•Discuss the sociological study of health and medicine in society.In which forms of government do average citizens have the least and most political power? What options might they have for exerting political power under this type of government? In your response, also discuss voter participation in the U.S. Explain how a voter’s social class and other social factors can affect his or her voting practices. Besides voting, how can U.S. citizens influence political processes and outcomes? Have you personally used any of these strategies?

350 word
· Apply a sociological perspective to the social world.
•Analyze contemporary social issues using the sociological imagination and use sociological theories and concepts to analyze everyday life.
•Interpret the United States economy and politics.
•Discuss the sociological study of health and medicine in society.

Explain the difference between fully insured and self-insured health plans.

4 PAGES

1. Identify the distribution of national health spending by type of financing source.
2. Identify the distribution of health insurance coverage among the U.S. population.
3. Discuss the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the difficulties that might be encountered by those mandated to participate.
4. Discuss the origin of employment-based health insurance.
5. Explain the difference between fully insured and self-insured health plans.

Claxton, G. (2008). How Private Health Care Coverage Works: A Primer. A Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Report. Available at http://www.kff.org/insurance/upload/7766.pdf (Retrieved 11/21/2012)

Blumenthal D. (2006). Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance in the United States – Origins and Implications. New England Medical Journal, 355(1), 82-88. Retrieved from ProQuest on 11/21/2012.

RAND Corporation. (2010). US Health Care Today: Coverage. Available at http://www.randcompare.org/us-health-care-today/coverage#current-levels-of-coverage (Retrieved 11/21/2012)

Bodenheimer, T. (2005). High and Rising Health Care Costs. Part 1:
Seeking an Explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 142 (10), 847-854. Available at: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=718406

Choudhry, N., Rosenthal, M. & Milstein, A. (2010). Assessing the Evidence for Value-Based Insurance Design. Health Affairs, 29 (11), 1988-1994. Retrieved from ProQuest on 11/21/2012.

  How effectively do the mission statements articulate the organization’s purpose?

Discussion 1: The Influence of Mission and Vision on Planning

As you read the following mission statements, think about what you might deduce about each organization:“Nurses advancing our profession to improve health for all,” American Nurses Association“The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors,” American Red Cross“The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit,” Southwest Airlines“To inspire hope and contribute to health and well-being by providing the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research,” Mayo Clinic“Provide telehealth solutions and executive medical research management to enhance and support military healthcare and promote innovative medical technologies,” Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC)“Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” GoogleAn organization’s mission describes its core purpose. In partnership with the organization’s vision, which communicates a future-focused direction, the mission provides a basis for planning and decision making at all levels of the organization.For this Discussion, you compare mission and vision statements from multiple organizations and consider how these statements relate to planning.To prepare:Review the information related to the planning hierarchy and mission and vision statements in this week’s Learning Resources.Research the mission and vision statements of three different types of organizations: a for-profit health care organization, a not-for-profit health care organization, and an organization outside of health care. As you examine the organizations’ mission and vision statements, consider the following:                   How effectively do the mission statements articulate the organization’s purpose?How effectively do the vision statements reflect future aims?Do the mission and vision statements convey who (which groups) the organizations serve? Do they indicate obligations to various stakeholders?Are the statements an appropriate length?What do you glean about how leaders in health care and in other industries envision and convey mission and vision?What do you discern about the interdisciplinary nature of crafting mission and vision statements by looking across organizations, including those outside of health care?Identify key insights you have gained by comparing the mission and vision statements of these three organizations.Consider how an organization’s mission and vision relate to the planning hierarchy. For each organization you have selected, think about how the mission and vision could or should influence planning. What elements of each mission and vision stand out as especially significant?
By Day 3Post a comparison of the mission and vision statements of the three organizations selected. Explain how specific elements of each organization’s mission and vision statements might inform planning in that organization. Include references/links for the organizations’ mission and vision statements in your post.