Organizational Assessment

Our vision is to be the hospital of choice for patients, employees, physicians, volunteers, and the community.

It is no secret that the cost of American healthcare is becoming increasingly more expensive. However, the issue of the rising cost of healthcare and its severity needs to be recognized as a major problem. Health prices are steadily increasing in the United States, and there is no sign of it stopping. Since 1970, spending on American health care has grown 9.8%, which is a rate that is growing faster than the economy (“New Technology”.) Furthermore, health insurance premiums are also increasing at a rate five times faster than American salaries, which makes it difficult for families to afford health care coverage (Zuckerman 28). Therefore, it has become an obligation to address why the cost of American health care is soaring and to seek out a solution to lower the cost. Many would jump to the conclusion that the United States simply charges too much for their medical services, but there are deeper influences that need to be analyzed. The causes of the rising cost of health care are people not using preventive health care, the development of modern technology, and the treatments being overprescribed. A possible solution is to have preventive health care services available in clinics of low-income areas.

Money plays a huge role in access, therefore it is a vital issue to discuss. Within the current system, lack of money results in lack of health care, which leaves thousands of people without any health care coverage. Between 2001 and 2005, the number of people paying for health insurance increased 30%, however income only raised 3% (Health Care Problems). Adequate income is a necessity and unfortunately that is not present. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the average annual premium across the country is $16,000. Currently, the average annual income in the United States is $51,107. Mint Money Management suggests that about 4-6% of one’s total income should be spent on insurance, including life, disability, and health insurance. However, the averages in the United States show that the average person spends about 31% of their income on health insurance, which is not financially beneficial. When this rise in health insurance is not parallel to the inflation of income, innocent people are left without a method to achieve health care. There is a program for those who can’t afford health insurance out of pocket nor have access to it, and that is called Medicaid. Issues still exist with the program. There is only so much funding, which leaves many still uninsured. Additionally, people with Medicaid have difficulty

Health care in America is a serious issue as it involves families that are unable to receive accessible, affordable and quality medical treatment. Middle class or impoverished families are unable to receive the benefits of health care due to low income levels and a volatile economy. Politicians discuss the reformation of the health care system, but people who are uninsured suffer the consequences of a system that overlooks middle class families in favor of wealthy families, a dominant issue for conflict theorists. Some argue that the health care system is not in need of reform and state that

The lack of health insurance reached began to become a serious issue in the mid-1990’s reaching a crisis level in the 2000’s. Individuals without insurance turned to emergency rooms across the country to obtain care routine care, turning emergency departments into primary care facilities. In many instances, people who presented at emergency rooms for treatment could not be turned away due to various health and safety regulations; therefore, patients were seen without the ability to pay often leaving the hospitals with millions of dollars in uncollectable debt, subsequently leading to the insolvency of hundreds of hospitals across the United States.

There are people who are at increased risk of being readmitted to the hospital: those with comorbidities, older males, and unmarried people. Those living in poverty are 28% more likely to be re-hospitalized (Hu, Gonsahn, & Nerenz, 2014). People who live in poverty commonly do not have health insurance and do not want to/cannot pay for medical care, do not have adequate transportation for medical appointments, or do not have enough health literacy to understand the cause of their condition, how they can play a role in treating it, and why they need to take medication (Wasfy et al., 2014).

Many uninsured and underinsured focus group participants described going to emergency departments for non‐urgent care because they could not afford to pay for private care and knew they would not have to pay the emergency department charges and/or preferred to be seen as soon as possible. Several informants mentioned that the emergency department becomes a default source of primary care, which is costly and lacks the continuity of care that chronic conditions demand ("Community Health Needs Assessment,"

At the current moment, doctors’ offices can refuse care to any uninsured person, whereas an emergency room cannot. The hospital is required by federal law to adequately screen and stabilize a patient. This is where the uninsured tend to show up for care where they tend to seek emergency care for urgent medical conditions that might not have been there due to lack of insurance. This would include the screening tests such as a colonoscopy or a mammogram for preventative care. This can delay the diagnosis of a serious complication that might have easily been taken care of through preventative services. The uninsured and underinsured are generally not as healthy as the insured counterparts. There is also lack of follow up care and medication to make sure the disease is under control. This group of

Lack of doctors is only one facet to this multifaceted problem. Accessibility in terms of having the financial resources to obtain care is another. “Individuals in lower social status groups have the highest rates

With the current healthcare system in the United States there are many people who do not have health insurance due to cost.

Many low-income people who cannot afford healthcare services often have a difficult time finding a pharmacy or physician who will accept them as patients. Patients who do not receive the appropriate care from physicians are at a higher risk of developing avoidable diseases. Research has shown 23% of uninsured patients do not get medical care due to the cost of treatment or get delayed medical treatment due to costs (Barton, 2010). Bernard and Sheldon found in 2006 approximately 11.3 million U.S. residents were uninsured from 2001 to 2002, despite being employed (Barton, 2010). According to the textbook; Understanding The U.S. Health Services System; American Indians or Alaska Natives have the highest uninsured population being at 38%, followed by Hispanics and Latinos at 35% (Barton 2010). Furthermore, people between the ages 18 and 44 are among the highest proportion with no health insurance coverage, most of them being males (Barton, 2010). There are numerous reasons why patients lack health insurance coverage, including but not limited to: people cannot afford the premiums, do not qualify for Medicare, Medicaid, or other government programs, their employer does not offer any insurance because they are part time, or they have declined their employers insurance (Barton, 2010). These uninsured patients rarely use nonemergency ambulatory services therefore have a greater chance of having uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, or cholesterol

Brief surveys are conducted on a regular basis by the customer service department to ensure quality is consistent throughout the organization. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) conducts audits of all manufacturing sites to ensure the proper goods manufacturing practices are followed. The FDA also reviews all standard operating procedures (SOPs) relating to product manufacturing and handling.

A person’s ability to access healthcare services has a significant effect of his or her health, yet 1 in 4 Americans do not have access to primary care providers who they can receive preventive care services or regular health services (Healthy People 2020, 2014). Approximately 1 in 5 Americans (i.e. approximately 48 million in 2012, OECD, 2014) do not have medical insurance (including children and adults under the age of 65). The ability to access healthcare services is linked to social, economic and environmental factors. A lack of medical services in rural and remote areas, shortage of healthcare professionals, cost of medical coverage, lack of transportation, communication barriers, etc. all have a profound effect of a person’s ability to access healthcare services. According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (2012), the percentage of individuals’ age under 65 without insurance decreased 0.6%, differences in rates of health insurance exists by race and ethnicity and level of education. In an attempt to improve the nation’s access to healthcare services, one provision of the Affordable Care Act implemented in 2013 provides additional Medicaid funding for states providing low cost access to preventative

Changes in access to health care across different populations are the chief reason for current disparities in health care provision. These changes occur for several reasons, and some of the main factors that contribute to the problem in the United States are: Lack of health insurance – Several racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and other minority groups lack adequate health insurance coverage in comparison with people who can afford healthcare insurance. The majority of these individuals are likely to put off health care or go without the necessary healthcare and medication that is needed. Lack of financial resources – Lack of accessibility to funding is a barrier to health care for a lot of people living in the United States

Hospital AB and Health Center is a community based acute care general hospital. The hospital is proactive in seeking methods to identify and provide all sources of community benefit and charity care. The mission of the hospital as stated in administrative service manual policy 726 (2005) is “With caring and compassion, we will improve the health and quality of life of the people we service.” The purpose of existence of the hospital is the commitment to patients and community to first understand their needs, second to provide services that meet these needs; and third, the recognition that service and clinical excellence are only achieved if they are delivered with caring and compassion.