Visit the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website and choose one of the nine (9) national health priority areas to answer the following:

1. Why is this health issue a national health priority? Include in your answer epidemiological evidence (such as incidence or prevalence both nationally and internationally) and what is known about the burden of mortality and morbidity on the Australian population.

2. Using evidence (must include at least two peer reviewed articles) describe one strategy (this can be national or international) that has been successful in addressing your chosen health priority. Your answer should include an assessment of the success of this strategy – depending on the type of strategy and the evidence available, the assessment should consider two (2) of the following:

• Improvements in health outcomes
• Better use of health services – this could be through more sustainable services, or more effective collaboration between health, human services and community organisations.
• Community capacity building.
Change in local, state, national or international policy

Resources: Budgets under Chief Financial Officer in the Patton-Fuller Community Hospital Virtual Organization and the Health Care Budget assignment from Week Five.

Part 1 – 2010 Operating Budget

Review the “2009 Budget Issues – Nurses” file in the Patton-Fuller Community Hospital Virtual Organization (accessed via the University Library). This document can be found on the Chief Financial Officer’s web page under Special Projects.

Decide which of the two highlighted options you will implement from the Nursing Statistics memo of the “2009 Budget Issues – Nurses” document.

Create a new 2010 Operating Budget based on the labor decision you select from the Nursing Statistics memo. Use your Week Five Health Care Budget assignment as the foundation to develop your new projected budget.

Part 2 – Analysis Paper

Write a 1050 to 1,400 word paper in which you detail the following:
Explain the decision-making processes in creating a budget.
Explain the role of variance analysis in maintaining an operating budget.
Differentiate between managerial accounting and financial management.
Analyze how generally accepted accounting principles in the health care industry apply to your Operating Budget Projection.
Analyze the decision between the two labor alternatives facing the management of PFCH and the annual cost increase of each.
Evaluate the labor alternative you would recommend. Your justification should present numbers related to fiscal management including how each decision impacts the 2010 Budget Projection. 
Analyze the effect of the labor alternative you recommended would have on the operating budget with respect to each of the following:
The opportunity cost of your recommendation.
How your recommendation impacts employee satisfaction.
How your recommendation impacts patient care and patient satisfaction.
Cite a minimum of four sources.

Format your sources consistent with APA guidelines.

Submit the 2010 Operating Budget and Analysis Pape