Assignments

Discussion One

Select an organization in the health care arena you would like to work for. With this organization in mind, describe how strategic thinking could lead to the identification of opportunities for this organization to gain a competitive edge in the industry. Provide at least one example that demonstrates the importance of "strategic thinking." Support your primary response with at least one scholarly source. Provide in-text citations and complete references for all sources used. Format your post according to APA style

Discussion Two

The U.S. population continues to diversify, increase in average age (primarily due to baby boomers), and to be influenced by national legislation (e.g., Affordable Care Act, Medicare Modernization Act, HITECH Act). Select a specific type of health care organization. Which market segments pose opportunities for growth, and which pose threats to the organization's survival? Provide at least one strategy related to the assessment and interaction with its market and customers that will maximize opportunities and minimize threats. Support your primary response with at least one scholarly source. Provide in-text citations and complete references for all sources used. Format your post according to APA

Assignment

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 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. And One that is from Ashford (ATTACHED)

Spath, P. L., & Abraham, S. C. (2013). Strategic management in healthcare organizations [Electronic version].