• How have your initial beliefs from your first paper changed? • Have you learned something during the course that you: o Put into place during the course o Intend to put into place o Would like to put into place if the opportunity presents itself • Reflecting on the course, will you or have you changed something in your perspective or placed something into action? • Is there something you would like to implement but are unable to and what are the barriers? My first paper- Thoughts on Organizational Theory and Healthcare Management According to Olden (2006), organizational theory (OT) provides a concept of understanding, improving, analyzing, and describing establishments. Healthcare management, also known as healthcare administration, is run by those who process and fix problems within the healthcare organization while overseeing non-clinical and day-today-operations using organizational theory models and methods. In other words, OT is a framework for healthcare management. One example of an OT is Triple Aim. In Triple Aim, the goal is (a) to improve quality of patient care and satisfaction, (b) improve population health, and (c) reduce healthcare costs (Kovner & D’Aunno, 2017; Whittington et al., 2015). Healthcare management ensures that their organizations survive by aligning with the Triple Aim to achieve the mission, goals, and vision of the establishment (Olden, 2006). However, the healthcare system is very complex and ever changing due to internal and external influences. As a result, healthcare service delivery has become fragmented, making it difficult for the healthcare organizations to pursue the aim (Kovner & D’Aunno, 2017). OT is a structure used to guide organizations towards achieving their goals within an ever-changing and uncertain healthcare establishment (Covrig, 2005). Economic, technical, and political influences on the healthcare establishment may pressure organizations to change in ways that have an adverse effect on patient care (Covrig, 2005). When organizations and healthcare management lack a clear organizational theory, the goal of the organization shifts from ensuring quality care and patient safety to ensuring its efficiency and productivity. The shift in organizational goals leads to internal fragmentation both vertically and horizontally throughout the organization (Covrig, 2005). Managerial and organizational issues stemming from an ineffective organizational theory change how healthcare is delivered and ultimately affects the relationship with the surrounding community (Nembhard et al., 2020). It is important to maintain interorganizational relationships between the healthcare system and community/ social sector agencies to reduce fragmentation of care. Separation of health professions and the community results in a system of silos. Lack of collaboration and individual managerial decisions affect the patients, the organization, and the community. Lack of patient lifestyle management, insufficient informational support from communication deficits coupled with increasing workload and patient acuity of care has led to significant quality issues and inappropriate care (National Academy of Medicine, 2018). Overall, the systemic problems that affect the quality and affordability of healthcare is a very complex and urgent issue facing the U.S. today (National Academy of Medicine, 2018). The internal and external environment must balance to prevent fragmented care. Patient safety and quality care as the Triple Aim entails, can be achieved if the managers are committed to an organizational theory and execute their work with fact-based decisions and employee empowerment (National Academy of Medicine, 2018). Topics such as telemedicine, conflict and stress from both an organizational and individual perspective, the Baldridge, COVID19 pandemic, was to increse job satisfaction and retention of nursing staff, lateral violence, root cause analysis and patient saftey,
