Case Study Banner Health

“UnitedHealthcare provides network-based health care benefits for a full spectrum of customers in the health benefits market” such as students and individuals; sole proprietorships to multi-site, large national employers; promotion of health benefits to Medicare retirees and beneficiaries; and provides Medicaid and community programs (UnitedHealthcare, 2010). UnitedHealth Group 2012 revenue was $11.3 billion. The company is continuously growing through various mergers and acquisitions within the US and Europe, increasing members and revenues (Keepournhspublic, n. d.).

I have realized that even though I am only one person, I have a huge and often times detrimental impact on the environment. Although, I occasionally recycle bottles and cans at my home, the HHW project gives me an opportunity to turn a simple and seemingly insignificant effort, into a large scale community project. I specifically chose this project because I wanted to take part in the effort to decrease our need for landfills and other methods of mass trash disposal.

Improved patient safety is the most essential advantage of the BCMA system. “On average a hospital patient is subjected to at least one medication error per day (IOM, 2006)”(Foote). BCMA significantly reduces medication errors that cause a compromise in patient safety. The BCMA verifies the five rights of medication administration before a patient receives a medication by the software alerting the nurse if there is a contraindication between the medicine scanned and the patient’s orders. A pilot study conducted at a 300-bed community hospital found that the BCMA system reduced medication errors by 80% (Foote). Fowler et al states that “decrease in errors related to the wrong patient was a direct result of the bar code system (Fowler).”

The fact that there are broad spectrums of services available within the Kaiser Permanente network makes it easier to coordinate patient care. For example the Northern California site has implemented programs that focus on five “imperatives of personal care”, which are: patients have to have a primary care doctor, they need to be able to see that physician, patients that call have a short telephone wait, patients should receive timely appointments and have a great care experience (Commonwealth fund June 2009). Care management definitely plays a crucial role in health care. When the patients needs are met and quality care is received the result is patient satisfaction and potentially cost saving for the organization. Patients not only have to deal with health issues, many experience challenges within their environment and certain limitations depending on socioeconomic status. Therefore , coordination of patient care is key to the success of any health care delivery system.

Hospital waste is one of the world’s growing problems. Hospitals on average produce 29 pounds of waste per staffed bed in just one day (2016). One of the reasons for medical waste is that a large amount disposable products used for sanitary reasons such as drapes, basins, and sponges (Conrardy J et al, 2009). However, new methods using reusable products in operating rooms have provided a means to decrease the regulated medical waste generated by an average of 65% (Conrardy J et al, 2009). Even if the hospital bureaucracy is unconcerned with the environment. These changes reduce the cost of waste disposal (Conrardy J et al, 2009). On the social side of progress, nonprofits like Practice Greenhealth provide sources for environmental solutions for the health care sector. At the hospital’s request, they can send information packets to help inform hospital staff on more environmental purchases such as the “Less Waste member-only toolkit”

Health is increasingly becoming a key consideration for sustainability as it becomes more integrated into the concept. A sustainable lifestyle can enhance your physical and mental well-being through a range of different activities. The NHS supports this link between sustainability and health, which is why they hold an annual NHS Sustainability Day of Action, to engage staff, patients and the public on sustainable living. This day of action was supported in our region by The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

These systems will also help cut down on medication errors by comparing the patient’s to medications or interventions so that it is given to the correct patient. Also documents the care given so there would be no human error in the case of questioning whether care had been given as long as the caregiver documents in the record. These features of the electronic health record are in place to promote patient safety by reducing errors.

Banner Health is a nonprofit health care system that was started on September 1, 1991 after the merger of Samaritan Health System and Lutheran Health Systems. Before the merger Lutheran Health System had a long standing history as a respected health care provider in rural communities located across Western and Midwestern states dating as far back as 1938 while Samaritan Health System was formed in 1911 and had a reputation for clinical excellence in California and Arizona primarily in the metro Phoenix area. The headquarters of Banner Health are located in Phoenix

Banner Health is a non-profit organization whose mission to make health care easier, so life is better (Banner Health, 2018b). This group encompasses multiple hospitals, clinics, specialty centers, and,

Electronic Health Systems are equipped with many features that are designed to reduce medical errors and help navigate patients through the healthcare system. One system that is worth looking at is the MedicsDocAssistant™ (MDA™). MDA™ supports many features such as alerts (“MedicsDocAssistant,”). Alerts will pop up on a provider’s screen letting them know that there is something wrong with the patient’s care. Alerts can range from prescription alerts, warning physicians of potential adverse drug effects or allergy complications, to alerts pertaining to clinical decisions regarding patient examinations, procedures and screenings that may be crucial. For example, the system will alert to the physician to remind female patients of a certain age to schedule a mammogram screening. The objectives of these alerts are to aid in properly diagnosing patients, identifying gaps in care, running appropriate tests as well as improving patient outcomes (“How EHR Alerts,” 2012).

Finally, if you’re building green it calls for green cleaning. This means that the products used in cleaning these green buildings are also very environmentally safe. For example

"Banner Health is considered one of the nations ' largest secular, non-profit health care organization operating 29 acute care facilities in seven western states" (Kash, 2016). It is known and recognized nationally. It unites with the Lutheran Health System and Samaritan Health System, which started in 1991 with the mission of making differences in people 's lives such as rendering perfect patient care. This excellent mission of health care earned them good standing that help the "organization to develop and manage 29 acute care facilities in seven states with the magnitude of about 4,000 beds" (BANNER HEALTH, 2016). These States of networking health care of Banner in America are Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska,

In 1991 Banner Health started out with 32 hospitals in 14 states with 22,500 employees and 2,882 beds (Banner Health). Currently, their organization has grown to 35,000 employees and 4,360 beds. They also plan to open a Fort Collins facility in 2015

Banner Health celebrates its fifteen year anniversary this year (2014). Samaritan Health System merged with Lutheran Health System September 1st, 1999. Lutheran Health System began in 1938 across Western and Mid-Western states. Samaritan Health System dates back to 1911 that covered California and Arizona, primarily in the metro Phoenix area. At the time of the merger, Banner Health occupied 14 states, with 32 hospitals with 2,882 beds, and employed 22,500 workers. Today, Banner Health is one of the largest health care systems in the country, occupies seven

The launch of the Green Works brand allowed Clorox to stay in their core product line of cleaning supplies while targeting the sustainability sector of the market. The company has experienced success with awareness and repeat customers in the trial runs of this product line but Clorox has not penetrated enough of the market to increase market share. This product category fits Clorox’s Centennial Strategy of existing brands to adjacent categories.