What are some strategies you can use as a health care manager to overcome HR challenges?

Posted: May 5th, 2020

ASSIGNMENT

Read each sections question and response. Respond to each sections response in 150 words.

SECTION 1
• What are some strategies you can use as a health care manager to overcome HR challenges?

As a health care manager there are many challenges, I believe that communication is a great strategy. You not only need to be able to speak with your team but hear and see them. Being able to take that information to leadership and convey the needs of the team can bring much needed help in the form of training, more staff, different procedures.

• What are some current and future HR issues in health care?

I think that burnout and understaffing is a current issue and will also be a future issue.
Hiring and retaining staff is another issue health care managers face.

• How may effective HR management handle these issues?

In health care management you must be able to provide help to the staff so they can avoid burnout and you losing a great team member.

When hiring team members making sure they not only meet the criteria needed but having a group interview with the team members they will be working with can be very beneficial to all. In retaining staff, you will need to provide competitive pay and benefits, continuing education, growth potential in the company. All of these show the team member they are important to the company.

SECTION 2

What are some strategies you can use as a health care manager to overcome HR strategies?

There are many strategies you can use as a health care manager to overcome HR challenges. Attracting talented employees is one. By attracting outstanding employees is the driving force behind any business, but especially the health care field since the health care industry is always in demand. After hiring an amazing employee, now you have to retain the outstanding employees, always encourage continued education, offer incentive programs and establish a positive workplace morale. For continuous economic issues, HR managers need to proficiently and promptly manage the HR budget especially when it is a huge part in a “protection plan”.

What are some current and future HR issues in health care?

There is always current and future HR issues, especially in the health care field for HR. With how the worldwide pandemic has been the past couple years, hiring and retaining employees is a huge current issue for HR in the health care field and honestly every industry. Another current and also future issue can be utilizing their emotional intelligence, meaning health care workers are exhausted, over worked and many are under paid, HR managers need to make sure their employees know that they care, and they are there if it is ever needed.

How may effective HR management handle these issues?

Having effective HR management is key. Having outstanding leadership and effective HR management skills is what keeps the retaining of outstanding knowledgeable employees. Effective HR management may handle these issues with hiring campaigns that attract top talent to help with the hiring and retaining of employees. For exhausted, overworked and some under paid employees, they can create incentives and reward the hard work for all health care employees, especially since the pandemic has put a huge burden on the health care industry for all health care workers.

SECTION 3
What is a current legal challenge in health care? How would you respond to this challenge as a healthcare manager?

A current legal challenge in health care would be keeping patient information private. With the increase use of technology, there is a decrease usage in paper charts; however, some places still use paper documentation. When a patient’s information is spread to others, not apart of their treatment team, this is a violation of HIPAA. HIPAA is a law that was established to ensure patients privacy is kept from other individuals who are not apart of the treatment team. As a manager, I would ensure that all computers are logged out after usage and make sure that there is no loose papers left on counters or out where others can see them. I would continuously remind employees to log out and to talk about their patients condition to only those involved and in a private setting.

What is a current ethical challenge in health care? How would you respond to this challenge as a healthcare manager?

Ethics is the gray area within health care. Ethics is based on right and wrong and can vary depending on the person. A current ethical challenge would be the level of care the patient receives relating to their health insurance coverage. Some health insurance policies only cover certain medications and if the patient should need non-approved medication, the physician may be conflicted to give the medication or not. This can also relate to if a patient needs to have a procedure and if the health insurance will cover it or not. This becomes an ethical issue because as health care providers we are taught to give the best care to patients but, health insurance coverage limits the treatment plans. As a healthcare manager, I would work with the treatment teams to see if there is any form of backups that can be used in case there is a medication or treatment option that is limited due to coverage.

Do you perceive your identified legal or ethical issue as a bigger issue? Explain your answer.

I think that both the legal and ethical issue is a big issue but, I feel that the ethical issue rises a bigger issue. I feel this because especially in the emergency room, they experience a wide variety of patients with different concerns. They also receive patients from all social classes. If there is a trauma or a code, the staff is trained to do all possible to save that patient; however, the follow up treatment post trauma/code could be limited due to medical coverage. If a patient needs to have a certain medication that is not covered by their insurance and there is no generic for it, does the physician prescribe it or are they is a tough situation with the health insurance? If the patient needs to have a referral to a specialist not covered under the health insurance, can limit the patient receiving the best care for their condition. Do health providers do what’s best regardless of the repercussion from health coverage? Ethics can be come tricky because providers are put in situations that could have positive or negative repercussions.

SECTION 4
Current legal challenges in health care?

A current legal challenge in health care is medical malpractice. As defined in the textbook “malpractice is the negligence or carelessness of a professional person; it can be either a civil (tort) concern or a criminal one, depending on whether it involved ‘reckless disregard’ for the safety of another (criminal) or simple carelessness (civil)” (Buchbinder et al., 2021, p. 380). As a manager I would need to continuously be monitoring interactions between coworkers and providers and patients. Providing annual training and new employee training in these areas would be critical to keeping all staff aligned with the organization. Another response to this legal challenge could be random performance checks on all staff. Making sure each provider is doing their due diligence and providing enough medical care without underuse, overuse or misuse.

Current ethical challenges in health care?

Currently, providing ethical care is a challenge in health care. While the surge of COVID is dwindling, there are still several gray areas pertaining to COVID in health care. As a manager, having continuous open communication with all staff members is key. While the guidelines are not laws per say, they are set by the organization for providers and staff to follow. Personal ethics play a big role in each provider’s decisions. Managers need to provide ethics training as provided by the organization regularly, typically annually or as a new employee hiring process. Keeping all staff aligned with the organization can help cut out some unethical situations.

Legal vs. Ethical. Which is bigger?

In my opinion ethical issues are a bigger problem. While legal verse illegal are pretty much laid out in the laws, ethics are not. Personal ethics can vary from religious beliefs to personal morals. What one individual feels is right, another individual could find it unethical. In health care this is a fine line most have to walk with patients all while still providing the best care possible.

Reference
Buchbinder, Sharon B., Shanks, Nancy H., & Kite, Bobbie J. (2021). Introduction to health care management (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://lccn.loc.gov/2019019012
SECTION 1

As a healthcare manager, communication is indeed an important strategy to overcome HR challenges. Effective communication can help identify problems, concerns, and gaps in resources that need to be addressed by management. Providing adequate training, ensuring that staff feel valued and supported, and offering competitive pay and benefits are effective HR management practices to address the current and future HR issues in healthcare.

Burnout and understaffing are major HR issues in healthcare, which can lead to a decline in the quality of care provided to patients. To address these issues, healthcare managers must implement effective HR management practices that focus on staff well-being and retention. These practices can include creating a positive work environment, providing support and mentorship, and promoting a work-life balance.

In addition, healthcare managers should collaborate with other leaders and stakeholders to identify and address the root causes of HR issues. By working together, healthcare organizations can develop comprehensive solutions that address the HR challenges faced by the industry.

SECTION 2

Attracting and retaining talented employees, managing HR budgets effectively, and creating a positive work environment are all important strategies that healthcare managers can use to overcome HR challenges. Retaining outstanding employees involves offering continued education, incentives, and support, and establishing positive workplace morale. By investing in the well-being of employees, healthcare managers can create a culture of excellence that attracts and retains top talent.

Hiring and retaining employees is a current HR issue in healthcare, as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for more healthcare workers. Healthcare managers must find ways to attract and retain top talent, such as offering competitive salaries and benefits, providing opportunities for growth and development, and prioritizing employee well-being.

In addition, effective HR management can address issues related to employee exhaustion and burnout by offering incentives, rewards, and recognition for hard work. This can help boost morale and improve employee engagement, leading to better patient care.

SECTION 3

Patient information privacy is a current legal challenge in healthcare, and healthcare managers must ensure that staff members are trained to handle sensitive information appropriately. To address this challenge, healthcare managers can implement policies and procedures that protect patient information, such as logging out of computers after use and ensuring that loose papers are not left out where others can see them. Regular training and reminders can also help ensure that employees understand the importance of patient privacy and the consequences of violating HIPAA laws.

The current ethical challenge in healthcare is related to health insurance coverage and the level of care that patients receive. Healthcare managers must work with treatment teams to identify backup plans in case certain medications or treatment options are limited due to coverage. By collaborating with health insurance providers and other stakeholders, healthcare managers can develop solutions that ensure that patients receive the best possible care without compromising ethical standards.

Both the legal and ethical issues identified in healthcare are significant challenges that require ongoing attention and management. However, the ethical challenge related to health insurance coverage is a bigger issue, as it can directly impact the quality of care that patients receive. By prioritizing patient care and collaborating with stakeholders, healthcare managers can address these issues and ensure that patients receive the best possible care.