Assignment Task:
Amy Discussion:
Hi Class,
My name is Amy, and I work as an Administrative Manager in a hospital in NYC. I chose to pursue a graduate degree in Healthcare Administration hoping to gain valuable knowledge to effectively lead and advance in my career.
Program planning in healthcare is crucial as it provides a structural framework to identify a healthcare need within a population. It sets a clear goal and implements strategies to make necessary adjustments to improved health outcomes.
Two of the most important program planning elements to me are needs assessment and measurable evaluation and needs assessment.
Healthcare program planning needs assessment is a process to gather data to understand the health needs of a specific population. This allows providers to identify gaps and design a targeted program to address that health concern. These are the initial steps to program planning to examine whether the current program meets the community's needs. (CMS, n.d.)
Program evaluation determines how effective and efficient the program is and if it meets the targeted goals. This is done by collecting and analyzing data. This step is important to identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions about the programs continuation or modifications.
References:
Step 1: Needs assessment. CMS.gov. (n.d.).
Amanda Discussion:
Hello, my name is Amanda Gibson. I choose the pursue a degree in healthcare for a few reasons. I've only ever worked in healthcare and I feel like healthcare is a somewhat safe career field.
"Planning and management are changing in the era of the New Public Health with advances in prevention and treatment of disease, population health needs, innovative technologies such as genetic engineering, new immunizations that prevent cancers and infectious diseases, prevention of non-communicable diseases, environmental and nutritional health, and health promotion to reduce risk factors and improve healthful living for the individual and the community." (Tulchinsky TH, 2014) Program planning in healthcare is critical to ensure optimal use of resources, essential in delivering healthcare and achieving desired outcomes. Establishing clear objectives enable healthcare providers to deliver targeted care. A structured program not only establishes objectives, but it also incorporates means for monitoring its effectiveness to address shortcomings for improvement. Program planning in healthcare is essential for delivering high-quality care and achieving health goals effectively.
All aspects of program planning are important; however, I feel like the most important aspects of the process are conducting a needs assessment and tracking the progress of the program. The needs assessment identifies specific population healthcare needs and is used to tailor the program specifically to the needs of the community. Monitoring the program helps to ensure that the program is achieving its intended outcomes, critical for accountability and continual improvement. Need Online Tutoring?
Reference:
Tulchinsky TH, Varavikova EA. Planning and Managing Health Systems. The New Public Health. 2014:613-41. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-415766-8.00012-4. Epub 2014 Oct 10. PMCID: PMC7171900.