Case Study: C. W. Williams Health Center: A Community Asset Dr. Charles Warren “C. W.” Williams had a passion and a desire to be of medical service to “those less fortunate” (Swayne, p. 742) in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg, NC community. He enlisted the help of other medical professionals to assist with the creation of a health facility that would serve “the unserved and underserved population of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.” (Swayne, p. 742) Unfortunately, Dr. Williams died shortly after the opening of the facility and it was eventually named in his honor.
Michelle Marrs, the new CEO for the C. W. Williams Health Center examines the current operational conditions of the facility. She understands the importance of the health care center in the community and is concerned about its longevity. She has the skills, knowledge, and education for planning and administration purposes to effectively run this facility. Although she is currently pleased with the full staff and the ability to serve Medicaid recipients, she is not naïve about the lack of finances that is hindering the growth of the center. The C. W. Williams Health Center could definitely benefit from hiring a director of finance. The center faces an abundance of challenges and opportunities that if a proper strategic plan is implemented, could generate positive results. Having over 20 years of experience working in several health care facilities, Mrs. Marrs understood the value and importance of strategic planning. Strategic planning is “the periodic process of developing a set of steps for an organization to accomplish its mission and vision using strategic thinking.” (Ginter, Duncan, & Swayne, 2013, p. 14) Unfortunately the board of directors lacked involvement in the strategic direction for the C. W. Williams Health Center. She mentioned that “a two-year plan was developed late in 1995 that has