Interwest Health Care Case Study
Interwest Health Care
Instructions:
For each module you will need to complete case study questions from your text Managerial Economics and Organizational Architecture. Read the scenario provided in the text and then answer the questions provided
• ” Chapter 2 “Analyzing Managerial Decisions: Interwest Healthcare Corp.”
If you can provide a complete, well-developed response in several paragraphs or a page that is acceptable (this means do not list answers in bullet points… you can separate the questions by number and in fact this does help me grade faster, but there should still be complete sentences). If it requires more than one page that is acceptable as well. Be aware that I will critique your written response not only on the technical part of your answer but also on the clarity and logical sequence of your response as well as grammar and spelling. I encourage and expect you to use textbook concepts as you attempt to explain in your own words the answers to the assignments. I will also be looking for word choice and sentence structure that is suitable for graduate level work.
ANALYZING MANAGERIAL DECISIONS: Interwest Healthcare Corp.
Interwest Healthcare is a nonprofit organization that owns 10 hospitals located in three western states. Cynthia Manzoni is Interwest’s chief executive officer. Vijay Singh, Interwest’s chief financial officer, and the administrators of the 10 hospitals report to Manzoni.
Singh is deeply concerned because the hospital staffs are not being careful when entering data into the firm’s management information system. This data involves information on patient intake, treatment, and release. The information system is used to com- pile management reports such as those relating to the costs of various treatments. Also, the system is used to compile reports that are required by the federal government under various grant programs. Singh rea- sons that without good information, the management and government reports are less useful and potentially misleading. Moreover, the federal government periodically audits Interwest and might discontinue aid if the reports are deemed inaccurate. Thus, Singh is worried about the managerial implications and the potential loss of federal funds.
Singh has convinced Manzoni that a problem exists. She also realizes the importance of an accurate system for both management planning and maintaining
federal aid. Six months ago, she invited the hospital administrators and staff members from the corporate financial office to a retreat at a resort. The purpose was to communicate to the hospital administrators the problems with the data entry and to stress the importance of doing a better job. The meeting was acrimonious. The hospital people accused Singh of being a bureaucrat who did not care about patient services. Singh accused the hospital staffs of not understanding the importance of accurate reporting.
By the end of the meeting, Manzoni thought that she had a commitment by the hospital administrators to increase the accuracy of data entry at their hospitals. However, six months later, Singh claims that the problem is as bad as ever.
Manzoni has hired you as a consultant to analyze the problem and to make recommendations that might improve the situation.
1. What are the potential sources of the problem?
2. What information would you want to analyze?
3. What actions might you recommend to increase the accuracy of the data entry?
4. How does your view of behavior affect how you might address this consulting assignment?
Solution.
Interwest Health Care Case Study
What are the potential sources of the problem?
Data entry is a solution towards the management of both finances and patient information. Without complete data entry, an organization has to grapple with a daunting environment in the data entry process (Brickley, Smith & Zimmerman, 2016). Most notably, from the analysis of Interwest Health Corp, the sources of the problem include:
- Employees who are not motivated to make data entry
- Ineffective data management system
- Employees who have to undertake multiple responsibilities that is not in their job description
What information would you want to analyze?
Information on patient treatment and release is necessary for analysis in a healthcare organization. Treatment and release of patients’ results in the payment of the services rendered. Information on the payment process is mandatory for analysis to eliminate the prospect of litigation emanating from the federal government. Admittedly, the healthcare organization provides health services that the federal government has to examine the payment process for taxation (Brickley, Smith & Zimmerman, 2016). Without the availability of all the financial information, the management cannot accurately make financial reports, which may lead to legal prosecution.
What actions might you recommend to increase the accuracy of the data entry?
Improvement of the data entry process requires the implementation of two main strategies. First, the management needs to align the data analysts with the organizational employees. Determining a new pool of analysts who will work in a coordinative manner with the care providers will necessitate a pool of individuals who will be charged with recording the information they obtain from patients and the care providers. Secondly, through the pool of data analysts, the organization should set aside a team of core individuals who will undertake the role of assessment and management of data and risk in the organization. Assessment of risk should denote uncovering any misinformation that may prevail in the data entry process (Brickley, Smith & Zimmerman, 2016).
How does your view of behavior affect how you might address this consulting assignment?
Caregivers in the organization exude a negative perspective of the management. Seeing the management as bureaucratic will influence the process of dealing with the consulting assignment due to the need for empowerment (Date, 2015). Empowering the employees on the significance of data entry should form the first step to address the behavior as a consultant,. Empowerment should denote communication on the implications of ineffective data entry and the prospect of legal redress that can impact on the caregivers.
References
Date, A. B. (2015). Information Security Policy. Policy, 4, 8th. Sage: New York
Brickley, J. A., Smith, C. W & Zimmerman, J. L. (2016). Managerial economics and organizational architecture. New York: McGraw-Hill.