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ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
Competency
Design value-driven operational processes aligned with creating an effective balance among costs, quality, and access to care.
Scenario
Assume the role of the chief operations strategist for a multi-specialty health care organization. You have determined that the organization could benefit from creating a workforce management strategy for the purpose of optimizing staffing levels. With worsening staffing shortages in critical areas such as nursing and primary care physicians, there is a concern that staffing shortages will result in higher labor costs across the healthcare spectrum. This could pose a significant challenge to the goal of balancing costs, quality and access to care.
Instructions
Draft a memo to the CEO outlining a plan to develop a strategy for optimizing your organization’s workforce management strategy. Your memo should:
Describe the looming shortages of critical supply areas (nursing shortages, primary care physician shortages, etc.);
Explain the impact of the growing baby boom population on the system and how their complex needs may affect the cost, access, and quality of care;
Assess the use of analytics in optimizing recruitment and retention efforts for healthcare workers in critical roles;
Advocate for value-based strategies such as virtual care (telehealth) and other patient-support roles such as health educators and community health workers.
HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)
MEMORANDUM
To: CEO of the Multi-Specialty Healthcare Organization
From: Chief Operations Strategist
Subject: Developing a Workforce Management Strategy to Optimize Staffing Levels
As the chief operations strategist of our multi-specialty healthcare organization, I believe that we could benefit from creating a workforce management strategy to optimize staffing levels. With worsening staffing shortages in critical areas such as nursing and primary care physicians, there is a concern that staffing shortages will result in higher labor costs across the healthcare spectrum. This could pose a significant challenge to the goal of balancing costs, quality and access to care.
To address this challenge, I recommend the following plan to develop a strategy for optimizing our organization’s workforce management:
- Describing the Looming Shortages of Critical Supply Areas: The looming shortages of critical supply areas, such as nursing and primary care physicians, have been identified as a major concern. The shortage of healthcare workers in these critical areas can lead to increased workloads, burnout, and decreased job satisfaction, all of which can lead to higher labor costs, poor quality of care, and decreased access to care.
- Explaining the Impact of the Growing Baby Boom Population on the System: The growing baby boom population has complex needs that can affect the cost, access, and quality of care. As they age, they require more healthcare services, and the shortage of healthcare workers in critical areas can exacerbate this challenge. Therefore, we need to develop a strategy that takes into account the unique needs of this population and addresses the staffing shortages in critical areas.
- Assessing the Use of Analytics in Optimizing Recruitment and Retention Efforts: Using analytics can help us identify the factors that contribute to recruitment and retention in critical roles. We can use data to determine the factors that influence job satisfaction, the reasons why healthcare workers leave, and the strategies that have worked in the past. By analyzing this data, we can develop a targeted approach to recruitment and retention in critical roles.
- Advocating for Value-Based Strategies: Value-based strategies such as virtual care (telehealth) and other patient-support roles such as health educators and community health workers can help us optimize staffing levels. Virtual care can increase access to care, while patient-support roles can help us address the growing demand for healthcare services. By leveraging technology and community-based resources, we can achieve our goal of balancing costs, quality, and access to care.
In conclusion, developing a workforce management strategy is critical to achieving our goals of balancing costs, quality, and access to care. By describing the looming shortages of critical supply areas, explaining the impact of the growing baby boom population on the system, assessing the use of analytics in optimizing recruitment and retention efforts, and advocating for value-based strategies, we can develop a comprehensive plan to address this challenge. I look forward to discussing this plan with you in more detail.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
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