Assessment 5
Process Improvement Proposal
Instructions: Generate recommendations for process improvement and organizational fitness for a selected organization in the form of a 6-8 page proposal that is targeted for its management team.
Introduction
Note: The assessments in this course build upon each other, so you are required to complete them in sequence.
Healthcare leaders function within a complex, high-risk environment where errors can lead to injury and death. The goal of any healthcare leader is to assess and manage risk, while concurrently promoting a culture of patient safety.
Patient safety is the cornerstone of high-quality care.
Youngberg (2011) addresses the need for leaders to create a systemic mindfulness of patient safety within the high-risk healthcare delivery environment. Further, the author discusses high-reliability organizations, which attain next to zero error rates, despite a great propensity for error or catastrophic events.
Read further in the Assessment 5 Context [PDF] Download Assessment 5 Context [PDF]document, which contains important information on the following topics related to change leadership, risk management, and patient safety:
- Themes for Success in Leadership.
- The National Patient Safety Goals and Strategic Direction.
- Personal Reflection.
- Ethical Leadership.
- Professional Communication.
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as a part of your assessment.
- How does a healthcare leader establish a culture of patient safety?
- How are risks to patient safety assessed and managed in your current or future work setting?
- What are the other types of risks that are assessed and managed?
- What are the important factors that need to be monitored in your selected work setting?
- How can you contribute to risk management and patient safety within your job?
Imagine that you are the new CEO of your organization, and are charged with transforming the previous status quo to an efficient, high-performing accountable care organization.
- Which tools would you put to work in your new position?
- What types of individuals would be needed for your executive leadership team?
- What competencies might be important to the team members?
- What processes, structural models, or frameworks from this course might help you as a transformational leader?
Reference
Youngberg, B. J. (2011). Principles of risk management and patient safety. Jones and Bartlett.
Preparation
Note: The assessments in this course build upon each other, so you are required to complete them in sequence.
The following resources are required to complete this assessment. These articles introduce the concept of using a balanced scorecard to motivate and measure a business unit’s performance.
Instructions:
For this assessment, continue to use the organization you selected in Assessment 1 on which to base your work.
In your proposal, use specific language and include evidence-based concepts from peer-reviewed literature, including a minimum of four outside peer-reviewed sources. Communicate information and ideas clearly, accurately, and concisely, including reference citations and using correct grammar. Include the following in your proposal:
- Present your organization’s philosophy or culture statement: This includes analyzing your organization’s existing organizational structures, mission, and vision.
- Convey the organization’s values through an ethical, organizational, and directional strategy to impact the needed changes for quality improvement.
- Analyze your organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT).
- Present your organization’s balanced scorecard.
- Communicate vision, strategy, prioritized areas of improvement with recommendations, and KPIs for each of the four elements of the balanced scorecard, providing a macro-level discussion.
- Recommend evidence-based and best practices for monitoring your recommendations and improving the metrics presented in your KPIs.
Additional Requirements:
- Written communication: Written communication should be free from errors that detract from the overall message.
- APA formatting: Resources and citations should be formatted according to APA style and formatting guidelines. Refer to the APA Module to help with APA style guidelines. Use APA format for all of the following:
- Number of resources: A minimum of 6 resources. The following Norton and Kaplan articles will serve as two resources.
- Length of paper: 6–8 typed double-spaced pages.
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Competencies Measured:
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
- Competency 1: Conduct an environmental assessment to identify quality and risk management priorities for a healthcare organization.
- Analyze existing organizational structures, mission, and vision.
- Competency 3: Analyze the processes and outcomes for a risk financing issue.
- Provide macro-level discussion on all four levels of an organization’s balanced scorecard.
- Competency 4: Analyze applicable legal and ethical institution-based values as they relate to quality assessment.
- Convey the organization’s values through an ethical, organizational, and directional strategy to impact the needed changes for quality improvement.
- Recommend evidence-based and best practices for monitoring and improving discussion.
- Competency 5: Communicate effectively using professional standards embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Communicate information and ideas accurately, including reference citations and correct grammar.