Healthcare Strategies - Research Paper Example

Healthcare Strategies: Strategic Plan of Bedford VA Medical Center, Massachusetts This paper is aimed at looking at the strategic planning of Bedford VA Medical Center in the hunt of establishing quality care and/or service to its patients. In addition, the paper examines the goals set by the organization and the strategies that the organization expects to implement so as to achieve these projected goals.Healthcare Strategies: Strategic Plan of Bedford VA Medical Center, Massachusetts Bedford VA Medical Center, from herein referred to as VA, is a facility that offers long-term care to psychiatric and aged patients (VA, 2012).

Comprehensively, the facility offers services in mental health, dentistry, medicine, elderly care, psychiatry and ambulatory care.MissionThe mission of the facility is to honor the Veterans of America via provision of health care to improve their health standards and safety (VA, 2012). According to HPSA (2011), strategic planning involves determining the direction and focus of the organization in terms of delivering services to the patients, in this case the veterans. The plans of VA are based on well-known directives and priorities derived from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and according to the plan; excellence in a number of goals is to be achieved from now, 2012, to 2016.

According to VA (2012), these goals include:i. Improve the health of the population through provision of effective and safe medical care that is equal to everyone to.ii. Create a positive experience for patients via providing care that is easily accessible, compassionate and patient-centered.iii. Provide employees with appropriate workplace that is supportive to the employee ambitions and professionally rewarding.iv. Spread services, reach and support the community through activities like research, teaching and medical camps for education.

The Process This is a process that is cyclical in nature, designed to improve thinking, acting and strategic learning abilities, extending the odds of reaching or exceeding the target goals, and also improve the organizational effectiveness and efficiency (Office, 2010; Baucus, 2009). The plan is reassessed annually which enables VA to keep track of the changing strategic environment, organizational goals and stakeholder requirements. The use of this approach ensures that VA moves the organization forward strategically consequently improving the care given to Veterans (Halasyamani, Kripalani, Coleman, Schnipper, Walraven, Nagamine, Torcson, Bookwalter, Budnitz, Manning, 2006).

The PlanVA has a plan for achieving the set goals; a plan that needs all organizational efforts to be directed towards the stakeholder experiences, needs, and expectations while maintaining high standards of value and efficiency. The plan is to:i. Build an Improvement Culture. In order to provide quality care to Veterans and establish a system centered on patients, VA established that there need to be constant improvements and innovations. This is to improve safety, quality, and efficiency of VA services while at the same time cementing a working environment that is challenging but rewarding.

This is to be achieved through creation of learning programs to instigate improvement, provide staff with proper training and, appreciate and equally share the successes across the organization.ii. Increased Service Accessibility. This is to be achieved through instruments like virtual care, use of telephones to give prescriptions, and providing improved transportation services to veterans. Virtual care is aimed at eliminating physical travels to VA medical center, especially for Veterans living distant from the center by creating a network over which virtually all the activities could be conducted.

This involves implementation of complex infrastructure to support its integration. In addition, over 40 outpatient community-based clinics have been set up to near the services of VA to Veterans.iii. Improvement of organizational efficiency through development of effective and integrated management to ensure decisions that are data driven are made and proper allocation of resources, engaging the center in the ongoing topic of efficiency priorities (Coleman and Boult, 2003).iv. Expand Patient Base.

This is through the establishment of strong relationships with non-profit organizations, Veteran service organizations, local and state agencies. In addition, VA will spread its efforts in educating Veterans of the benefits they are entitled to as members.v. Improve Academic Relationships. The organization intends to further its relationships with the current academic affiliates so as to maintain excellence in service provision. This is achieved mainly through funding of research programs, projects and monitoring the outcomes of the projects.

The organization’s plan clearly highlights the performance measures to help improve the service provision of care to Veterans. In order to ensure this process is robust, VA aims at improving each aspect of their duties continuously. By implementing suitable plans, the organization promotes future cooperation and momentum so that New England Veterans receive quality care anywhere.ReferencesColeman, E. A., & Boult C. E. (2003). Improving the Quality of Transitional Care for Persons with Complex Care Needs.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 51(4), 556-557.Halasyamani, L., Kripalani, S., Coleman, E., Schnipper, J., van Walraven, C., Nagamine, J., Torcson, P., Bookwalter, T., Budnitz, T., & Manning, D. (2006). Transition of Care for Hospitalized Elderly Patients – Development of a Discharge Checklist for Hospitalists. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 1, 6.HPSA (2011). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); Bureau of Health Professions.

Office of Shortage Designation. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2012 at .Office of the Secretary (2010). Strategic plan: FY 2010-2014, Washington, DC.VA New England Healthcare System Strategic Plan: FY 2012–2016 (2012). Retrieved Oct. 26, 2012 at http://www.newengland.va.gov/docs/StrategicPlanFY2012 2016.pdf