Change and Culture Case Study 1
Joan Ramos
HCS/514
February 4, 2013
Debra Williams

Change and Culture Case Study 1
The cost of health care in the United States remains an important concern for American consumers. The challenges for controlling costs and providing a better health care system are various and complex. These challenges, in many cases, are in the realm of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or other federal or state agencies (Department of Justice, 2012). Hospitals continue to team up with other facilities, insurers and for-profit companies, although the cause of the bump in M&A activity varies. While some hospitals cite financial problems, others join forces because of collaboration mandated under the Affordable Care Act and changing reimbursement models, according to Minnesota Public Radio (Caramenico, 2012).
Many dynamics in a healthcare organization can dramatically change when a merger occurs; these changes occur on the floor and among staff. The impact of merging two separate entities with different values and performance efforts can have long-term and short-term affects within the new organization. This paper is an effort to identify the impact a merger will have on the culture of the new combined organization, and how to ensure that the combined staff will work together to provide quality care without taking on a competitive stance.
Change and Culture: Cultural Impacts on New Organization
When two entities merge together, cultural change can be a major challenge. Operational, functional, and organizational elements at all levels of the new organization can be disrupted when incorporating two organizations into one. Disruption can cause stress on all involved in the merger, however, these challenges aim to produce positive results during the transition and beyond. Mergers present opportunities to expand one or more of