Change Stories
In a three page paper (excluding the title and reference pages), reflect on an important professional change that you have experienced. Compare your change story to one of the stories from the beginning of Chapter 1 of the text. Answer the following questions and support your thoughts with at least two scholarly sources.
In your paper you must:
• Describe your change story and the one selected from Chapter 1 of the text.
• Discuss the common issues and lessons present in both stories.
• Identify and discuss the embedded lesson found in the four change stories of Chapter 1.
• Describe how you might use the lessons as a solutions template during future change strategies.
Your paper should include in-text citations and references for at least two scholarly sources, in addition to the course text, and it should be formatted according to APA style.
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Change Stories
Student’s Name
Institution
Tutor
Course
Date
Change Stories
The significant change I have experienced in my career is the closure of my mail order pharmacy. My mail order pharmacy was closed due to taxes imposed by the government. Similarly, the agreement between the large chain stores like insurance carriers and CVS, together with Medicaid reimbursement rates, made the business impracticable. Most of the returns obtained in the business went to the payment of bills and taxes. My relationship with the employees deteriorated since they went for several months before getting their salaries. Some decided to quit and seek employment in some competing pharmacies. My business was forced to close pursued to be employed in another company.
The closure of my mail order pharmacy has been the most significant change in my professional life. Because of new taxes imposed by the government, my mail order pharmacy was forced to close its doors. For the same reason, an agreement between large chain stores such as insurance carriers and CVS, combined with Medicaid reimbursement rates, rendered the business unprofitable.’ The majority of the profits generated by the business were used to pay bills and taxes. Due to the fact that they had to wait several months before receiving their salaries, my relationship with the employees deteriorated. It was determined that some pharmacists would resign and seek employment with competitors. The closure of my business was pursued in order to obtain employment with a different business enterprise.
As a result of the 1996 merger of two hospitals (Beth Israel and Deaconess Hospital), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was born. A period of staff reductions, uncertainty, and a decline in patient confidence followed the merger. There were issues with the safety and quality of care provided by the hospital staff. In the hospital, the uncertainty was caused by the cultural differences between the two institutions. What distinguished the two merged hospitals was their approach to management. Among the priorities set by Beth Israel’s administration were professional creativity and autonomy for employees (Abasi, 2010). The vertical management at Deaconess Hospital was based on rules. It was clear that the employees were committed to the management style of their parent company. Annually, the hospital began losing a significant portion of its revenues, amounting to approximately $100 million. In response to the hospital’s financial meltdown and loss, management devised a rescue strategy in order to prevent the hospital from going under. Paul Levy was appointed as the Hospital’s chief executive officer. Levy devised a strategy that was underpinned by strong leadership values and was centered on accountability and transparency, among other things. Patient outcomes improved as a result of his efforts to improve the overall quality of care.
The dissatisfaction of the employees was a recurring theme in the two tales I read. Dissatisfaction among the employees of the mail-order pharmacy was caused by a delay in their paychecks. Because of a deterioration in their working relationship with their boss, some of them were forced to quit and work for a competing firm. The staff at Beth Israel Deaconess, in a similar vein, expressed dissatisfaction with the organization. Staff members at the hospital were divided on a number of matters. They were fiercely loyal to their original hospitals, and many of them were resentful of having to depart from their employer’s values and culture (Abbasi, 2010). Among the employees, the anxiety bred a sense of dissatisfaction. Deaconess employees felt disempowered and resentful of Beth Israel’s dominance following the merger, making them reluctant to stay. Consequently, a large number of staff members transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General). The dissatisfied employees were transferred to other hospitals and replaced by new employees a year later.
Another commonality between the two stories was that involving all members of the healthcare team in financial objectives and contributing to the formulation of an operational strategy is critical to ensuring that the institution continues to grow and develop. During the financial planning process, Levy included his employees (Abbasi, 2010). With no prejudice or discrimination, he listened attentively to the ideas of the staff. Some of the management consultants’ recommendations were accepted by him. So that the hospital can get back on its feet financially,
As illustrated in the four change stories presented in Chapter 1, the embedded lesson is that strong leadership values and a focus on quality can revive a failing institution’s financial performance as well as patient satisfaction. As a result of Levy’s leadership principles, the relationship between employees and management has been strengthened significantly (Abbasi, 2010). More than anything, he was concerned with providing the patient with high-quality and safe care. During Levy’s reign, the quality of care provided to patients increased the satisfaction of those who received it. Delegation of responsibilities was also accomplished by Levy. The man did not work in the medical field. When computer tomographic colonography was used in clinical practices, for example, quality was extremely high (Siewert, Kruskal, Eisenberg, Hall, & Sosna, 2010). He could delegate to more qualified individuals the tasks he was unable to complete himself. In addition to improving the overall quality of care provided to patients, the delegation also increased their level of satisfaction. A significant contribution to the restoration of the Hospital’s reputation was made by its leadership strategy. By 2010, BID had earned a reputation as one of the nation’s top medical facilities (Abbasi, 2010). The change stories also taught us that transparency, when coupled with accountability, is essential in improving quality, but only when it is done right (Wong, Cummings, & Ducharme, 2013). Financial issues on the farm were made more transparent thanks to Levy. During financial and operational planning, he enlisted the participation of the entire company’s workforce. A number of recommendations from the hospital’s financial management were also accepted and implemented by the hospital administrator. As a result of his leadership qualities, the company was able to resolve its financial crisis.
If future change plans are solved by involving all employees in financial matters, the lessons learned from these stories can be applied to future change plans. Employees will develop a sense of belonging when they are engaged and their decisions are respected. This will result in an increase in their overall working morale. When the employees are pleased with their jobs, they will provide high-quality care to the patients. An improved working relationship between the hospital’s staff and management will also result in an improved quality of service. Listening skills should be developed among the hospital’s management and new leaders. To understand the areas in which improvement is required, management needs to pay attention to the decisions and, occasionally, complaints of their employees
References
Abbasi, K. (2010). Improvement in Practice. Beth Israel Deaconess case Study. London: Health Foundation.
Siewert, B., Kruskal, J. B., Eisenberg, R., Hall, F., & Sosna, J. (2010). Quality improvement grand rounds at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: CT colonography performance review after an adverse event. Radiographics, 30(1), 23-31.
Wong, C. A., Cummings, G. G., & Ducharme, L. (2013). The relationship between nursing leadership and patient outcomes: a systematic review update. Journal of nursing management, 21(5), 709-724.
