Patton-Fuller Community Hospital's Structure and Functional Relationships Contribute to Its Success

In this paper,I plan to analyze the reasons for Patton-Fuller Community Hospital's existence and organizational structure and identify the company's collaboration process and the roles of key stakeholders in order to achieve organizational goals. The results of each areas responsibility needs to contribute to the achievement of the company's outcomes and results, helping the company move towards the chosen strategic path. Moreover, I will provide an example of the use of lateral collaboration and vertical collaboration within the organization, and prepare an action plan to use lateral and vertical collaboration. Lastly, I will recommend the collaborative interactions among the key stakeholders to facilitate the organization's success.
Reasons for Existence:
Patton-Fuller Community Hospital is a non-for-profit healthcare organization that has provided a broad array of superior quality services and facilities to the city of Kelsey and the surrounding communities since 1975. The hospital provides specialized services such as emergency medical care, surgery, labor and delivery, physical therapy and radiology for adults and children. "As one of the first hospitals in Kelsey, they are also committed to providing a variety of programs that will support the health and welfare of their local community populations" (Apollo Group, 2006). The primary reasons for Patton-Fuller Community Hospital's existence from an analysis of the mission, vision, and goals are to be the healthcare organization of choice for patients, healthcare professionals and physicians. Other key reasons are to provide quality award winning healthcare services to the community by "effectively treating diseases and injuries, providing early intervention and preventive care," and ensuring their staff embraces creativity, integrity, quality, service, teamwork and independence (Gwinnett Medical Center, 2009, ¶ 3).
Organizational Structure:
An organizational structure spells out the roles and reporting structure between employees at different positions in an organization. Organizational structures facilitate organizations working as cohesive social entities and, thereby, helping the organization realize and reach its goals. There are five basic primary organizational structures, which include (1) functional, (2) geographic, (3) divisional, (4) matrix, and (5) product team. (Pierce-Robinson, 2004)A functional structure is a group of people put together because they hold similar positions in an organization, perform a similar set of tasks, or use the same kind of skills. (Organization, 2009)
A functional structure best suits Patton-Fuller Community Hospital because the company requires well-defined skills and focus on areas of specializations. Organized around clinical and administrative functions, Patton-Fuller divides tasks in order to develop the highest level of efficiency. The clinical functions at Patton-Fuller include radiology, the pharmacy, labs, ER's and OR's, wards, ICU's, Drs. Personnel offices and outpatient examining rooms. In addition, the administrative functional areas at Patton-Fuller include IT, admitting/discharge, HR, facilities, hospital sr. management and finance. (Patton-Fuller Community Hospital, 2006)
One advantage of a functional structure is that it enables the employees and personnel at Patton-Fuller to concentrate on one aspect of their necessary work based on the division of specific tasks into functional specialties. One disadvantage of the functional structure is that it promotes narrow specialization and functional rivalry or conflict. However, the implementation of effective coordination of the function units will limit Patton-Fullers issues and help avoid limited perspectives and differences in priorities. It is critical that the CEO insure that there are programs implemented that increase team planning and enhance coordination in order to facilitate understanding across functional areas. (Pierce-Robinson, 2004)
Collaboration Process:
Patton-Fuller Community Hospital must set objectives in order to obtain organizational goals set out for the hospital. One of the more pressing issues or goals Patton-Fuller must obtain is the goal to set out to be a safe hospital. The need for gas cylinder safety is at the top of this safety concern. In this case, the emergency management for healthcare facilities involves elements of alleviation, attentiveness, reaction, and resurgence. The objectives in order to obtain these goals should consider things such as suitability and sufficiency of physical facilities, organizational structures, personnel, and communication systems (UOP, 2009).
A detailed sequence of steps or objectives taken to obtain a certain result can define an action plan. An action plan generally includes steps, milestones, and measures of progress, responsibilities, assignments and a time line of events that aide in keeping everything on track. An effective action plan also encourages feedback and open communication with internal and external stakeholders. In addition, an action plan will also provide guidelines for the safe use and handling of compressed gas cylinders, training for new employees, and validate knowledge with existing staff that will handle compressed gas cylinders. Putting an objectives list into place, the ICP (infection control practitioner) will aide consideration and management. Even though objectives are broken out into pieces many of the partition, have common characteristics therefore depending on the company some things may seem redundant. Although complete, the hospitals appraisal will definitely raise new inquiries and deliberations (UOP, 2009).
Lateral and Vertical Collaboration:
Many businesses have different lateral/horizontal and vertical collaboration styles. Horizontal collaboration or integration is the "acquisition or merger of competing businesses" (Pearce, 2004). Vertical collaboration or integration is the "acquisition or merger of suppliers or customer businesses" (Pearce, 2004). Patton-Fuller Community Hospital would demonstrate horizontal collaboration with the surrounding community hospitals. Patton-Fuller strives to be the best, offering many specialized services that other hospitals may not offer. When the hospital brings in new doctors and physicians, possibly from surrounding hospitals that offer different skills and expertise to the different specialized fields that the hospital offers, they are showing the integration of all areas of expertise in to one hospital to be able to treat all kinds of patients and give them the best care available. Having the equanimity that the hospital is a non-for-profit center, they are likely to feel better about the care that they will be getting because that gives people a sense that the doctors are there to help while profit is not an issue.
Patton-Fuller demonstrates vertical collaboration in the types of specialized services that they offer and the equipment and supplies needed to fulfill these specialized services. Products received in the hospital also demonstrate vertical collaboration. The hospital has to work with multiple different suppliers to get the latest and best technology available, which again, provides the hospital the materials needed to provide the best care to the patients. Patton-Fuller should map out any areas of expertise the hospital is interested in acquiring and set key steps; a timeline and who is responsible for how and when the hospital plans to acquire and implement these steps.
Key Stakeholders:
BusinessDictionary.com (2009) defines stakeholders as: Person, group, or organization that has direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can affect or be affected by the organization's actions, objectives, and policies. Key stakeholders in a business organization include creditors, customers, directors, employees, government (and its agencies), owners (shareholders), suppliers, unions, and the community from which the business draws its resources. Although stake holding is usually self-legitimizing, (those who judge themselves as stakeholders are de facto so), not all stakeholders are equal and different stakeholders are entitled to different considerations.
Key stakeholders of Patton-Fuller Community Hospital are the employees, patients, visitors, investors, the Board of Directors, and the community. Norm Smallwood, Kate Sweetman, and Dave Ulrich (2007, November 11) state: "Employees want to work in a place where they can meet their personal needs and wants. Leaders who create job assignments, work environments, and visions help employees be both competent and committed to their work." Patients want to know that they are receiving the best care possible and be able to trust the care providers. Visitors want to know their loved ones are receiving the best care and that they can trust caretakers. Norm Smallwood, Kate Sweetman, and Dave Ulrich (2007, November 11) also state:
Communities-want leaders to build organizations that are socially responsible, through how they treat the environment and how they serve the larger community.
Investors-want leaders to keep their promises, develop a compelling growth strategy, align core competencies to the strategy and then to ensure that people are committed to delivering on these premises. When they do, investors reward the organization with high levels of confidence in the future, which translates into higher market value.
Regulators-want leaders to govern themselves in accordance with high ethical principles and in a manner consistent with professional and legal standards.
Conclusion
Patton-Fuller Community Hospital's aim is to become a trusted organization among its customers and key stakeholders, by providing quality customer care and services to all its patients and by meeting the needs and expectations of key stakeholders. Today with the rise of health care costs, the need for efficient care management is on the list of priorities. Patton-Fuller understands this need and therefore focuses on the perspectives of key stakeholders, patients, providers and employees in the collaboration process. In order for the company to deliver on its promise to be the healthcare organization of choice for patients, healthcare professionals and physicians, Patton-Fuller understands the importance of functional area interrelationships in which coordinate, motivate and control key personnel towards the accomplishment of long-term organizational goals and objectives.
References
Apollo Group. (2006). Patton-Fuller Community Hospital. Information Technology. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Healthcare/PFCH/IT/ITNetDTop.htm
Apollo Group Inc. (2006). Riordan Manufacturing. Finance & accounting - overview. Retrieved August 26, 2009, from: BUS/475 - Integrated Business Topics. https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Riordan/Finance/RioFandA001.htm
BusinessDictionary.com. (2009). Stakeholder definition. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/stakeholder.html
Gwinnett Medical Center. (2009). About Us. Retrieved August 26, 2009, from: http://www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/About-Us.About_Us_Content.0.html
Lamar University. (1996-2009). Organizational Structure. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from: http://dept.lamar.edu/industrial/Underdown/org_mana/Org_Structure_George.htm
Pearce II, John A. (2004). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, and Control. Ninth Edition. Chapter 6, p 209. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from: McGraw Hill Companies.
Pierce-Robinson (2004). Strategic Management: Implementing Strategy, Structure, Leadership and Culture, Ch. 10, p 359. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from: McGraw Hill Companies, 2004.
Smallwood, N., Sweetman, K. & Ulrich, D. (2007, November 11). A Leader's Five Key Stakeholders. Retrieved August 29, 2009, from: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2007/11/a_leaders_five_key_stakeholder.html
UOP (2009).Patton-Fuller Community Hospital. Retrieved August 26, 2009, from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Healthcare/PFCH/Ancillary/PandP/PPSA001.htm