Identified Structure for Health Care Delivery - Case Study Example

Running Header: Organizational structure Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date Introduction South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) is among the largest health district in Australia, Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital is one of its six hospitals. In order to comprehend the operations of the Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital, the entire SWSLHD will be analysed in order to bring out organizational structure adapted and how it relates to its vision, mission and organizational goals. A comprehensive analysis of the organizational structure of the SWSLHD is therefore covered in this analysis. Organizational structure adapted and how it relates to vision, mission and organizational goals South Western Sydney Local Health District is one of the largest health districts in the NSW. With respect to the growing population in NSW which is expected to reach over a million people in the next decade. The SWSLHD organizational structure is as follows. It covers an area with rural and suburban communities with six main public health hospitals namely: Liverpool Hospital, Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital, Fairfield Hospital, Campbelltown Hospital, Camden Hospital and Bowral Hospital. Liverpool Hospital and Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital are principle referral group A1 hospitals with affiliation to the University of NSW and University of Western Sydney (NSW, 2012). Within the SWSLHD, the six hospitals provide varying services to the district. It is governed by a board chaired by Professor Philip Harris A and other 10 Board members with vast wealth of experience and local knowledge. These executive and the Board are responsible for, improving patient’s outcomes, monitoring the performance of LHD against the service agreement, delivering services and performance standards within the budget, ensuring that the services are provided efficiency and accountably and maintaining communication with state public health stakeholders. As evident, the SWSLHD is governed by a board and a chief executive, the six hospitals all work under the same mission, vision and organizational goals (Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital Staff Forum, 2013). The vision of SWSLHD is better health through collaboration and innovation; there are three basic goals that underpin the SWSLHD vision: firstly Better health through academic alliances in research and education, robust improvement of quality framework, surveillance and placing patients at the centre of the care models. Secondly, collaboration as demonstrated by the multidisciplinary partnership and teamwork with communities and individuals (NSW, 2012). Thirdly, innovation as shown by the culture of innovation and exploration of new and effective service delivery means. These three goals are also underpinned by equity in healthcare delivery through tailoring of services to reach the most disadvantaged members of the community. As noted, the management of SWSLHD is clearly in line with the outlined mission, the board oversees the overall functions of the LHD. The mission of the SWSLHD is to promote the health of the residents of the district and other patients using health services through the delivery of high quality healthcare (Sadler, 2003). The SWSLHD does this by providing health care that is patient-centered, population based and involve the communities (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011). In essence the culture of the LDH encourages excellence as it values its people and support positive teamwork and leadership. In this way the SWSLHD mission aligns with the organizational structure layout under the board. Advantages and limitations of the identified structure for health care delivery The manner in which the SWSLHD is structured enables it to cover a large population, seven Local Government Areas in Bankstown to Wingecarribee with a population of about 800, 000 people. With the increasing population, the LHD intends to cover over a million people in a decade. It is vibrant and culturally diverse in the region, the SWSLHD covers both rural and suburban communities with its six acute public hospitals. The six hospitals including Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital and Liverpool Hospital which are the principle hospitals allow the LHD to cover a larger population. The organization’s mission and vision also encourages growth and innovation (Robbins, & Judge, 2008). The vision insists on collaboration and innovation in order to improve service delivery, this is an essential aspect of the SWSLHD structure. The mission is to promote health of the residents through provision of quality healthcare. The SWSLHD is resourceful and one of the largest district hospitals in Australia. The management structure which includes 10 Board members and its chairman enables it to oversee the overall functions of the entire LHD. The local knowledge and experience enables the management to collaborate with the community and improve on service delivery goals (Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital Staff Forum, 2013). The main limitation of the SWSLHD structure is allocation of resources to its six hospitals; this is evident from the fact that the Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital lacks hematologists and radiotherapy as compared to others in NSW. The budget allocation is also not adequate for Bankstown. The population growth rate which is factored as a consideration for increasing resources especially in Bankstown may be underestimated. This is because of the growing population; apparently there is a challenge of physically space in Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital and hence hindering quality service delivery as outlined in the company’s mission. More so, Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital is limited in terms of expansion, it has fewer interpreters considering the cultural diversity in the region, and the SWSLHD focus less on preventive healthcare which is essential consideration in reducing preventable illnesses (Moon, 2009). Utility of the organizational structure in achieving organizational mission and goals The SWSLHD structure is organized in a manner that allows achievement of organizational mission and goals. Firstly, the LHD is made up of the managing board headed by an executive; the board manages the daily operations of the organization through the heads of different hospitals in their location region. More so the resources of the organization are managed centrally and disbursed to various hospitals with regard to their needs. The LHD also encouraged community interaction as well as innovation of new approaches of dealing with healthcare issues (NSW, 2012). By doing this, the hospital is in a better position to achieve its organization mission and goals. More so by promoting research and development, SWSLHD achieves its mission of providing quality healthcare to the community. According to Borkowski (2010) it is necessary to align the organizational structure with the visions, missions and the organizational objectives. As noted by Abou-Zeid (2008) this is essential in ensuring that the organization focuses its resources to the right channel as outlined in the mission and the organizational objectives. In essence as discussed by Freeman (2010, p.12) both internal and external structure of an organization should be aligned in order to improve service delivery. Effective communication with the client can only be achieved through an effective and interdependent system. SWSLHD has achieved this in the manner in which its organizational structure is aligned. Key lines of authority and responsibility in achieving organizational goals/objectives As noted by Hollenbeck & John (2006) it is necessary to have a clear line of authority and responsibility in order to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Organizations that have clear leadership channels achieve their objectives; the leadership in place also plays an important role in ensuring that the team performs its functions effectively. SWSLHD is managed by a competent and experienced team, it is forms the authority of the organization and its subsidiaries. The board of the SWSLHD consists of 10 members and a chairman. Each of the six hospitals has a head and respective specialized physicians, nurses and other sub-ordinate staff. More so, the SWSLHD is decentralized in terms of its functionality and hence allowing the subsidiary hospitals function effectively within their mandate and area of specialization. Resource allocation and other improvements emanate from the main decision makers, the board and its chairman. According to Jenkins Ambrosini & Collier (2007) the leadership which is the authority of an organization is mandated the responsibility of duty allocation and other responsibilities that are necessary in running an institution. More so, the leadership is mandated the responsibility of determining the level of goals and objectives achieved by the organization. It also sets the strategic plans of the company and determines the overall progress of the organization (Wefald, 2011). Aspects of the structure which facilitate or impede organizational and group performance and potential solutions According to Fairholm (2009) organizational structures can effectively facilitate or impede the organizational performance depending on how the organization is planned and managed. A decentralized structure can impede resource allocation due to the independence of each unit while a centralized structure can impede the focus of each particular functional unit. In this sense, the organizational structure of SWSLHD facilitates the achievement of its visions and mission of providing better healthcare and provision of quality healthcare service delivery because it is decentralized. The six hospitals act independently to provide medical services to communities in the area (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2007). The disadvantage of the SWSLHD is that some of the major hospitals are lacking in terms of facilities (NSW, 2012). Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital is an example of one of the hospitals under the SWSLHD that lacks space for expansion, has no hematologists and radiotherapy; the resources allocated to the hospital are limited and hence unable to function effectively. In order for SWSLHD to solve these issues, firstly it needs to ensure adequate resource allocation, both monetary and human resource especially in places such as Bankstown. Better an independent plan for each hospital needs to be undertaken in order to solve issues affecting them independently and in a manner that promotes growth (Ashraf, 2002, p.155). Conclusion The SWSLHD organizational structure as discussed facilitates the achievements of the organization’s vision, mission and organizational objectives. Notably, the board of 10 people manages the operations of the entire SWSLHD. The collaboration that the district hospital has enhanced with the local community has helped it foster its vision of better health care and its mission of providing the highest quality medical services. Despite the effective organizational structure, there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed specifically in Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital. References Abou-Zeid, E. (2008). Knowledge management and business strategies: theoretical frameworks and empirical research, Hershey: Information Science Reference. Pp. 195-200. Ashraf, T. (2002). Organizational Behavior. pp. 155-165. http://www.unesco.org/education/aladin/paldin/pdf/course02/unit_14.pdf Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital Staff Forum. (May, 2013). Record of Consultation Forum on the SWSLHD Strategic and Corporate Plans. NSW Government. Accessed from http://www.swslhd.nsw.gov.au/planning/content/pdf/STRATEGIC%20PLAN%20FORU M%20NOTES/Bankstown_staff_comments_15_may_2013.pdf Borkowski, N. (2010). Organizational behavior in health care. Michigan: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Pp. 40-54. Fairholm, M.R. (2009). ‘Leadership, and Organizational Strategy’, The Innovation Journal: thePublic Sector Innovation Journal, 14(1), pp. 1-16. http://www.innovation.cc/scholarly-style/fairholm3.pdf Freeman, R. (2010). Strategic management: a stakeholder approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,. Pp. 1-20. 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