Assignment Question

I’m working on a health & medical discussion question and need the explanation and answer to help me learn. In this module, we will explore the rolesIn this module, we will explore the roles and responsibilities of Health care administrators, also known as health services managers and health care managers, direct the operation of hospitals, health systems and other types of organizations. They have responsibility for facilities, services, programs, staff, budgets, relations with other organizations and other management functions, depending on the type and size of the organization. Unlike clinicians, health administrators or managers do not deal directly with patients on a day-to-day basis. Instead, they help to shape policy, make needed changes and lead our nation’s health-related organizations in a way that serves individual patients by helping to improve the health care system. Working as a healthcare administrator you will need to have knowledge regarding the operations. They also need a basic understanding of the roles that doctors and nurses play, while managing the functions of staff within their healthcare locations. Healthcare management focuses on overseeing the direction of a healthcare facility or system, organization-wide initiatives, and “big picture” needs, while healthcare administration focuses on individual departments and budgets, day-to-day operations, and staffing. Healthcare management also focuses on the overall needs of the entire organization. By comparison, healthcare administration is more focused on individual areas and departments. A healthcare manager helps direct organizational policies and procedures and shares that information with the entire system, while a healthcare administrator is more focused on best using and directing his or her staff within a department (Gabriele, 2015). Healthcare management job titles may include: Hospital administrator Executive director Practice administrator Public health director Health advocate Social welfare administrator Healthcare administration job titles may include: Clinic director Hospice care director Health services manager Practice administrator Medical records manager Practice or office manager Working in the public sector differs significantly from the private sector when it comes to working in the healthcare industry, with differences in regulation, pay and training. Those working in healthcare have the option of working in either the public or private sector. Both sectors have their strengths and weaknesses and can be very different from each other when it comes to the working environment. A professional role, however, be it nursing or working as a doctor, doesn’t change much in either sector, but there are variations that could influence their decision. Private Sector Healthcare Services The private sector is defined as those individuals and organizations providing health services or products that are not owned or directly controlled by government. The private sector can be classified into the subcategories: for-profit and not-for-profit, formal and informal, domestic and foreign. The subcategories represent a wide spectrum of entities with very different attributes and purposes. Private sector engagement refers to a partnership between the public and private sectors to achieve a specified goal. There are three broad categories of private sector engagement: including private actors in the development of public health policy and the development of ownership and contracting arrangements; influencing private sector behavior through regulatory and financing policy tools; and assigning “private attributes” to public sector organizations. As for-profit organizations, administrators at private health facilities focus on whatever raises their overall profitability. That means that management at private facilities focus on income generation and their profit margins. Private healthcare administrators also keep a close eye on costs. Since most private facilities are much smaller than public healthcare facilities, management can have a much closer relationship with the personnel. While private healthcare providers are independently owned and operated, they must still abide by regulations generated within the public sector. For example, the Federal Government is responsible for drafting and enforcing broad national policies, while state, territory, and local governments assume responsibility for managing hospitals and, via policy initiatives, ensure both the effectiveness and efficiency of the health systems within their jurisdictions. Public Sector Healthcare Services One of the most important activities of State health departments is the development of local public health departments and the supervision and monitoring of their work. The 1988 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) definition asserts a local health department to be: An official governmental public health agency which is, in whole or in part, responsible to a sub-state governmental entity or entities. An entity may be a city, county, city-county, federation of counties, borough, township, or any other sub-state governmental entity. A local health department must: have a staff of one or more full time professional public health employees (e.g. public health nurse, etc.); deliver public health services; serve a definable geographic area and have identifiable expenditures and/or budget in the political sub-divisions which is serves(Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. ASTHO Profile of State and Territorial Public Health, 2017). Public health is relevant to hospitals, physician practices and other health care delivery entities for several compelling reasons. Notably, the top health problems are chronic and preventable. The disease profile of the United States has shifted over the past 60 years from infectious diseases to chronic ones, from curative medicine viewed in isolation to prevention within the context of physical and social environments. The top health problems that cause individuals to need acute care — obesity, diabetes, heart conditions, stroke, cancer and injuries, including COVID 19— all can be affected by public health initiatives, from changing the contents of school lunches to creating smoke-free environments to designing healthy neighborhoods (McAslam, 2015) Every 10 years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sets objectives and benchmarks for public health. The Healthy People initiative (www.healthypeople.gov/2020) lays out explicit goals for improving the status of the nation’s health, and it offers specific targets that can guide health systems’ priorities for achieving positive community health status. Its list of leading health indicators and data collected over the past 30 years gives federal, state and local government and private entities evidence-based resources to use for identifying and addressing high-priority health issues and measuring progress toward improving U.S. population health (McKinsey Insights, 2020). References: McAslan, M. S. (2015). Advancing Excellence in Healthcare Quality : 40 Strategies for Improving Patient Outcomes and Providing Safe, High-quality Healthcare. Greenbranch Publishing. Gabriele, E. F. (2015). Rising from the Ashes: Strategic Approaches for Reclaiming Healthcare and Research as a Culture of Innovative Care. Research Management Review, 20(2). Jaffe, S. (2020). A Better Health Care System? Progressive, 84(3), 32–35. Challenges emerge for the US healthcare system as COVID-19 cases rise. (2020). McKinsey Insights, N.PAG.

Answer

Healthcare administrators play a critical role in managing the operations of various healthcare organizations, ranging from hospitals to health systems. Their responsibilities encompass overseeing facilities, services, programs, staff, budgets, and inter-organizational relationships, with the specifics contingent upon the organization’s size and type (Jaffe, 2020). Unlike direct patient care providers, healthcare administrators focus on driving policy changes and leading the nation’s healthcare organizations to enhance the overall healthcare system, thereby serving individual patients and improving healthcare services (Gabriele, 2015).

For effective healthcare management, administrators need to grasp the fundamentals of medical operations and understand the roles of medical professionals, such as doctors and nurses, while efficiently managing staff within the healthcare facilities (McAslan, 2015). Healthcare management emphasizes overseeing the entire healthcare system’s direction, implementing organization-wide initiatives, and addressing broader strategic needs. On the other hand, healthcare administration primarily centers on managing individual departments, handling day-to-day operations and budgets, and overseeing staffing requirements (Jaffe, 2020).

In the private sector, healthcare services are provided by individuals and organizations that are not under direct government control. This sector can be further classified based on profit orientation, formal or informal structure, and domestic or foreign entities. Private healthcare administrators primarily focus on enhancing overall profitability and maintaining a favorable bottom line, often emphasizing cost control and revenue generation to maximize profits (McAslan, 2015). Despite operating independently, private healthcare providers must adhere to the regulations outlined by the public sector, with national policies set by the Federal Government and localized management handled by state and local governments (Challenges emerge for the US healthcare system as COVID-19 cases rise, 2020).

Conversely, the public sector’s healthcare services involve activities conducted by state health departments, which oversee the establishment and supervision of local public health departments. These departments play a crucial role in delivering essential public health services, catering to a defined geographical area and managing budget allocations within the respective political subdivisions (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, 2017). Public health initiatives hold particular significance for healthcare delivery entities, such as hospitals and physician practices, as they address prevalent chronic and preventable health issues, ranging from obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular diseases and cancer (Challenges emerge for the US healthcare system as COVID-19 cases rise, 2020).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) periodically sets public health objectives and benchmarks through initiatives like Healthy People, which delineates specific targets for enhancing the nation’s health status (McKinsey Insights, 2020). This initiative offers evidence-based resources that aid federal, state, and local governments, as well as private entities, in identifying and tackling high-priority health concerns, thereby fostering progress in improving the overall health of the U.S. population.

In conclusion, healthcare administrators play a crucial role in steering the trajectory of the healthcare industry, whether operating in the private or public sector. By understanding the nuances of both sectors and emphasizing the importance of ethical and effective management practices, these professionals can contribute significantly to the enhancement of healthcare services, the optimization of operational efficiency, and the delivery of quality patient care.

References

Challenges emerge for the US healthcare system as COVID-19 cases rise. (2020). McKinsey Insights, N.PAG.

Gabriele, E. F. (2015). Rising from the Ashes: Strategic Approaches for Reclaiming Healthcare and Research as a Culture of Innovative Care. Research Management Review, 20(2).

Jaffe, S. (2020). A Better Health Care System? Progressive, 84(3), 32–35.

McAslan, M. S. (2015). Advancing Excellence in Healthcare Quality : 40 Strategies for Improving Patient Outcomes and Providing Safe, High-quality Healthcare. Greenbranch Publishing.

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. ASTHO Profile of State and Territorial Public Health, 2017.

FAQs

1. What are the key responsibilities of healthcare administrators in managing healthcare organizations?
   • Healthcare administrators are responsible for overseeing facilities, programs, staff, budgets, and inter-organizational relationships, contributing to the overall improvement of the healthcare system.
2. What differentiates healthcare management from healthcare administration in terms of their focus and responsibilities?
   • Healthcare management concentrates on directing organization-wide initiatives and addressing broader strategic needs, while healthcare administration is more focused on individual departments, daily operations, and staffing requirements.
3. How do private sector healthcare services differ from public sector healthcare services in terms of operations and regulations?
   • Private sector healthcare services primarily aim to maximize profitability, while public sector services are more focused on fulfilling public health goals and adhering to government regulations.
4. What role do public health initiatives play in addressing prevalent health issues in the United States?
   • Public health initiatives are crucial in addressing chronic and preventable health concerns, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, by implementing preventive measures and promoting healthier lifestyles.
5. How does the Healthy People initiative contribute to improving the nation’s health status, and what resources does it offer to various healthcare entities?
   • The Healthy People initiative provides specific targets for enhancing the nation’s health status and offers evidence-based resources for identifying and addressing high-priority health issues, thereby fostering progress in improving the overall health of the U.S. population.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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