Within the last 10 years, the health care industry has seen big changes, not only in philosophy but also with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. There have been changes in political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that influence strategic planning. Americans desire increased quality patient care, wellness, and prevention programs. Health care organizations are seeing changes in volume and demographics related to their patients, along with labor and technologies related to the health care organization.
For this assignment, select a health care organization from the following list:
St. David's HealthcareLinks to an external site.
American Academy of PediatricsLinks to an external site.
Massachusetts General Hospital's Department of NeurologyLinks to an external site.
Imagine you have been selected by the facility's executive committee to develop a strategic plan that aligns with the organization's mission and vision. Use critical thinking skills and research current events of your chosen organization to prepare your assignment.
Differentiate between strategic management, strategic thinking, strategic planning, and managing strategic momentum.
Propose one specific analytical tool suitable for use as an adaptive strategy that will be the most effective in helping an organization achieve its strategic plan.
Propose the manner and provide an example of how the selected analytical tool will be used to support the strategic proposal.
Research three internal and three external factors that could become barriers to the success of the proposed strategic plan.
Recommend at least one solution to each of the possible barriers to implementing your proposed strategic plan.
Determine the specific segment of the market that your organization's strategic plan will target.
Recommend the most effective approach to marketing your strategic plan and provide examples.
Use at least three quality academic resources.
Use the Basic Search: Strayer University Online Library for resources.
Note: Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Meet requirements for clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Design a comprehensive strategic plan that accounts for the internal and external factors that impact an organization.
Full Answer Section
Differentiation
- Strategic management is the overall process of setting direction and making decisions.
- Strategic thinking is the ability to see the big picture and understand the forces that are shaping the future.
- Strategic planning is the process of translating strategic thinking into specific goals and objectives.
- Managing strategic momentum is the process of ensuring that the organization stays on track and makes progress towards its goals.
Analytical Tool
One specific analytical tool that can be used as an adaptive strategy is SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is a tool that helps organizations assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This information can then be used to develop strategies that will help the organization achieve its goals.
Example
For example, a health care organization might use SWOT analysis to assess its strengths in terms of its experienced staff and its state-of-the-art facilities. The organization might also identify weaknesses, such as its high costs and its limited reach into rural areas. The organization might then develop strategies to address these weaknesses, such as by partnering with other organizations to provide care in rural areas or by developing new ways to deliver care more efficiently.
How to Use
SWOT analysis can be used to support a strategic proposal in a number of ways. First, it can be used to identify the organization's strengths and weaknesses, which can then be used to develop strategies that will build on the strengths and address the weaknesses. Second, SWOT analysis can be used to identify the organization's opportunities and threats, which can then be used to develop strategies that will take advantage of the opportunities and mitigate the threats. Finally, SWOT analysis can be used to assess the overall feasibility of the strategic proposal.
Conclusion
SWOT analysis is a powerful tool that can be used to support strategic planning in health care organizations. By understanding the organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, organizations can develop strategies that will help them achieve their goals.
Additional Considerations
In addition to SWOT analysis, there are a number of other analytical tools that can be used to support strategic planning in health care organizations. These tools include:
- Porter's Five Forces analysis
- PESTEL analysis
- Scenario planning
- Gap analysis
The choice of which analytical tool to use will depend on the specific needs of the organization and the nature of the strategic proposal. However, all of these tools can be used to help organizations better understand their environment and develop strategies that will help them achieve their goals.