Assignment 1:

Competition in Health Care

One of the trends marking the continuing transformation of the U.S. health care industry is the dramatic increase in the pace of competition. The heightened competition is taking place among hospitals, health plans, physician groups, and drug companies, and between physicians and hospitals, and hospitals and health plans. Listen to the Looking Ahead: The Future of Health Care Policy podcast from National Public Radio (NPR). Then, prepare a three- to five-page paper in which you:

- Describe the different forms of competition that take place among various types of health care organizations.
- Evaluate the benefits and pitfalls of competition in health care and suggest alternatives if competition was not the primary driver of operations in the U.S. health care system.
- Explain the elements of successful competition and the use of competitive intelligence.
- Describe the influence competition has on the services offered by health care organizations and the choices patients have.
Your paper must be three double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Utilize a minimum of two scholarly sources that were published within the last five years. One source must be obtained from the Ashford University Library and focus on competition health care. All sources must be documented in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Assignment 2:

Future Direction of Health Care

In a three page paper:
- Describe a minimum of five challenges from the list below that are defining the future strategic direction of health care.
o Proposed health care reform and legislation
o Information technology advancements such as the electronic medical record (EMR)/ electronic health record (EHR)
o Accreditation, quality of healthcare, and organizational compliance
o Economics, including third party payers, future funding, rising costs, the Medicare and Medicaid programs
o Access to health care including the uninsured and those in the poverty levels
o Public entities in controlling the demand aspects of health service
o Market shares and advancing age of population
o Maintaining a skilled workforce
o Pay for performance
- Describe how an organization can adapt its direction and strategies to effectively address these challenges.
Your paper must be three double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Utilize a minimum of two scholarly sources that were published within the last five years. One source must be obtained from the Ashford University Library. All sources must be documented in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Assignment 3:

Communication in the Planning Process

Explore the functions of communication in the strategic and program planning processes for a health care organization. Consider the topics discussed thus far and clearly integrate at least five key concepts related to an effective and efficient strategic plan for organizational communication dissemination.

Identify three challenges with organization-wide strategic plan communication dissemination and recommend communication strategies to ameliorate these challenges. Your paper must be three to five double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Utilize a minimum of two scholarly sources that were published within the last five years. One source must be obtained from the Ashford University Library. All sources must be documented in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Assignment 4:

For your Final Paper, choose one of the following health care organizations:
- Health Markets

Conduct an evaluation of the organization based on strategic planning analysis, which includes the strengths and/or weaknesses that are internal to the organization and opportunities and/or threats external to the organization. Your strategic plan analysis must include at least three strengths and three weaknesses that are internal to the organization and at least three opportunities and three threats that are external to the organization. You must utilize at least five valid sources in your analysis. Examples of valid sources include organizational websites, annual reports, personal interviews with organizational leadership, investigative reports, government reports, and conference transcripts. Your Final Paper must address at least five key areas, concepts, and strategies that are outlined in the course text. These include:

- Internal and external assessments
- Competitive marketing analysis
- Identification of stakeholders
- Overview and assessments of services provided
- Competencies and resource
- Public entities and regulatory requirements
- Demographics served
- Strategic financial planning
- Financial and operational outcomes
- Current and future direction of the organization of choice

Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper:
1. Must be 8 double-spaced pages in length, excluding the title and references pages, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
o Title of paper
o Student's name
o Course name and number
o Instructor's name
o Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
6. Must use at least five scholarly sources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford University Library.
7. Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
8. Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.