Some of the benefits of strategic planning are:

1.  Secures the future of the organization.

2.  Provides a road map, direction, and purpose for the organization.

3.  Sets priorities.

4.  Allocates resources available for growth.

5.  Establishes measures of success.

6.  Gets input and ideas from all parts of the organization.

7.  Gains commitment to implement the plan.

8.  Coordinates the actions of diverse and separated parts of the organization into unified programs to accomplish objectives.

Source:  Healthcare Strategic Planning, Is Strategic Planning Still Relevant?, page 8-9

Long Range plans or strategic plans include the following parts (Griffith, White pg 613-614):

1. Envirnmental Forecasts
2. Services plan
3. Long-range plan
4. Information services plan
5. Human resources plan
6. Medical staff plan
7. Facilities plan

Although this is an example from the book, can anyone else share other items to add to a strategic plan that may not be on this list?

Which of the following is not one of the five forces that must be addressed according to Porter's framework for evaluating strategy:

1)buyers and customers

2)new technology and substitutes

3)External domain

4) Resource availability

5)Competitor Activity

6)Potential Competitors

Answer 3--Source p. 608 Griffin and White

It is interesting on how many organizations have not cascaded the Strategic Plan down to department goals and objectives. Thoughts?  

• Develop scripts and visual aids.
• Have a senior manager present the plan to the target group(s).
• Leave time for employees and others to ask questions.

It would be a mistake, however, to lean on technological solutions alone to convey implementation plans.  People want to talk with other people, and technology should be used to supplement face-to-face interactions with regards to the implementation of the strategic plan.

A.  Sustainability

B.  Performance improvement

C.  Quality

D.  Rapid turnaround

Answer:  D (Is Strategic Planning Still Relevant?, pp. 10)

At what point in the strategic planning process should middle managers become involved?

A. Environmental Assessment

B. Organizational Direction

C. Strategy Formulation

D. Implementation Planning

Answer: "Healthcare Strategic Planning" (packet of reading materials), Chapter 6, p. 81.

According to Griffith and White (2007), marketing is a broad approach to building relationships with exchange partners and stakeholders.  A “four P” pneumonic is used to capture the breadth of the concept.  The 4 P’s are:

A.      Product, performance, price, promotion

B.      Product, place, price, promotion

C.      Product, performance, place, promotion

D.      Product, performance, place, price

Answer:   B. Product, place, price, promotion – the order of the 4 P’s is also important.  A bad product cannot overcome convenience, a lower cost, or extensive advertising.

" Marking and innovation are the two chief functions of business. You get paid for creating a customer, which is marketing. and you get paid for creating a new dimention of performance, which is innovation. Everything else is a cost center " by Peter Drucker.

How do you justify the above principles in the Healthcare Mangement?

A plan often is not the final solution, the strategic plan are not always some fixed rules. A strategic only lead to the directions, the actual plan is the fundamental keys for not to have micro disasters.

I have found it quite difficult to encourage (recruit) private healthcare providers to participate in government programs, such as Medicaid. In many instances, providers are not willing to accept participation regardless of the contracted fees or level of reimbursement.

Has anyone faced this same challenge and can provide any lessons learned or best practices?

What is the total number of employees sustainable by a HCO based on a particular budget?