Introduction
Banner Health has its headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. This non-profit making organization has 23 hospitals and employs slightly over 35,000 people. It was founded in 1999 following a merger between Samaritan Health System and Lutheran Health System (Mensik, 2014). The system offers emergency care, hospice, hospital care, outpatient surgery centers, laboratory services, primary care physicians, pharmacies, and rehab services (Kohm, 2010). The need for healthcare services has been on the rise over the years. It is expected that the number of clients served at this organization will increase tremendously in the next decade. In this paper, the researcher seeks to determine the readiness of Banner Health to meet the increasing needs of the Americans in the next decade.
Readiness of Banner Health to Meet Americans’ Needs in the Next Decade
Banner Health is one of the leading providers of subsidized healthcare services to the Americans who are financially challenged. With a large employee base, this firm has been keeping up with the increasing pressure to handle more patients. It is expected that within the next decade, not only will the number of clients increase, but also the demand for quality services. This firm must, therefore, develop an appropriate strategy that will enable it to meet the new demands in the market. The management of Banner Health will need to develop a strategic plan that will enable it to manage the new challenges in areas where it operates.
The Strategic Plan
The field of medicine has faced a number of changes due to the new forces brought by emerging technologies. As Plunkett (2008) notes, the best way of managing these forces is to develop a strategic plan that will define steps to be followed and resources required to address these needs. Banner Health has remained dynamic in its operations. In its strategic plans, this firm has been keen on reviewing its trends in the following areas of management.
Network growth
Banner Health has developed ambitious programs to help in its network growth. According to Wickramasinghe, Gupta, and Sharma (2005), this firm has been doing this through strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisition. Currently, it has active presence in Arizona, Alaska, California, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and Nevada. There are plans to expand the operations of this firm to many other states within the United States in the near future in order to serve more Americans. In every state that the organization operates, the focus has been to offer high value to its clients at low costs, taking into consideration that some Americans may not afford costly Medicare. According to Mensik (2014), Banner Health has entered into a strategic partnership with Anderson Cancer Center in order to build a cancer center facility that is worth $ 100 million at the Gateway campus. This will expand its capacity to meet the increasing needs of its services. This new facility will also support research in the field of nursing and medicine at Banner Health’s Gateway campus. Through its affiliate organizations, this firm has been offering services in medical camps, especially in areas where it has not established branches within this country. With this trend, it is apparent that Banner is determined to increase its networks within the United States.
Nurse staffing
According to Kohm (2010), nurses are some of the most important staff members within a healthcare center. Currently, it is estimated that Banner Health has over 35,000 employees. Nurses make a good percentage of this population. In the next decades, it is expected that the demand for the services of this firm will increase by a wide margin. In order to meet this new demand, this firm will need to hire more nurses. With the completion of 103,000 square feet facility in March 2014 at a cost of $ 62 million, it is clear that organization will need to hire more nurses. It is important to note that when hiring the nurses, emphasis should be placed on the needs. The management will need to identify areas that require an increase in the number of nurses. Other staff members such as the doctors, lab technicians, and the subordinate staffs are also very important. These employees must coordinate closely in order to deliver quality service to the clients.
Resource management
Planning of the resources is an important managerial task that will define the ability of Banner Health to meet the increasing demands. The resources include all the facilities needed for normal operations at this firm, and financial resources necessary for the purchase of equipment and supplies. The current project which involves the construction of a 103,000 square feet facility at the Gateway campus is a sign of how the management is getting prepared to meet the demands within the next decade. Once completed, the facility will offer more space for the patient care, and an additional space for research. It is a clear demonstration that this organization has realized the need to advance its operations through research. The report by Kohm (2010) also indicated that this firm has experience an increase in its financial income though its operations and earnings gained from the well-wishers. This demonstrates that it has the capacity to meet the financial obligation such as paying its employees, buying necessary equipment and supplies. The firm has a team of financial experts responsible for financial planning and management.
Patient satisfaction
The ultimate aim of Banner Health is to satisfy the health needs of patients in the regions where it operates. According to Wickramasinghe, Gupta, and Sharma (2005), satisfying the needs of patients involves offering quality healthcare services to them in a timely manner. Patients who visit this facility come with varying problems that need different skills and equipment to address. Cancer is one of the causes of deaths in the United States (Mensik, 2014). Many healthcare centers in this country have been struggling to improve their facilities to meet the standards required to address cancer problems. Banner Health is ahead of the rest following the initiation of a $ 100 million project that is intended to increase its capacity to handle cancer problems. Its partnership with Anderson Cancer Center also increases its preparedness to handle cancer problems.
Conclusion
Banner Health is a major healthcare firm in the United States. The organization has over 35,000 employees working 23 different hospitals within this country. The management of Banner Health has developed new strategies, which are meant to meet the increasing demands for its services in the coming decade. The network growth, nurse staffing, resource management, and patient satisfaction are some of the critical areas of management that the firm has been focusing on in its strategic plans.
References
Kohm, D. A. (2010). Standardizing oral care for preventing VAP within banner health ICUs. New York: Cengage.
Mensik, J. (2014). The nurse manager’s guide to innovative staffing. Indianapolis: Sigma Theta Tau International.
Plunkett, J. W. (2008). Plunkett’s health care industry almanac 2009. Houston: Plunkett Research Ltd.
Wickramasinghe, N., Gupta, D., & Sharma, S. (2005). Creating knowledge-based healthcare organizations. Chicago: Idea Group Pub.