Discussion: Crafting a Mission and Vision for an Organization

You examined the mission and vision statements of various organizations and considered the implications of these statements for strategic planning. In this Discussion, you apply the insights you gained to the creation of an organization's mission and vision statements.

Your Instructor has assigned you to a small group for this Discussion.

Note: You will develop individual mission and vision statements for your initial post. Through the collegial exchange that follows, you will offer each other suggestions for refinement. You will also work in this same small discussion group.

To prepare:

• Evaluate what you have learned thus far about the process of developing mission and vision statements.

• Reflect on the case study presented in this week's media.

• Consider what information would help you to create rich and appropriate mission and vision statements for Mountain View Health Center, the organization featured in the case study. Conduct additional research as necessary to strengthen your understanding of the process of crafting mission and vision statements and to deepen your thinking about the organization. For instance, you may research organizations with similarities to Mountain View and examine their mission and vision statements.

• Draft a mission statement and a vision statement for Mountain View Health Center. Make the statements as clear and concise as possible. For example, you may want to write one to three sentences for the mission statement and one sentence for the vision statement.

• Consider what you have learned about the process of developing mission and vision statements.

Case Study: Mountain View Health Center

This case study of Mountain View Health Center, with information about the types of activities performed there, organizational structure, strategic priorities, and financial allocations. Use this for this assignment.

1. Mountain View Health Center is a nonprofit, 54 beds, short-term, acute care community-based hospital in Townsville, a poor rural community located approximately 93 miles from the closest metropolitan city.

2. The hospital is the only source of acute care outside the metropolitan city (itis a critical access hospital and is an important component of the town's economic and social fabric.

3. It is also the largest employer in town. The hospital is not considered to be a teaching hospital because the closest medical, nursing, and allied health schools are more than 100 miles away.

4. The population approx.. 27,000 of Townsville is multicultural, with a large number of Hispanic residents represented in the most recent census

5. The primary industry is farming, which brings in significant numbers of seasonal migratory workers during harvest season

6. These farmworkers frequently suffer from poor living and working conditions that lead to an array of health problems, including work-related injuries and long-term exposure to fungi and dust.

7. Lack of safe drinking water often results in cases of dehydration and heatstroke. Pesticide poisoning, falls, and injuries related to exposure to the elements are also commonly seen in the ER.

8. Farmworkers rarely have insurance, they can't afford to pay for health care. In addition, language is a barrier to care and treatment

9. The hospital has a small ER, 2 surgical beds, an OB. There are 5 ICU beds.

10. The hospital attempts to meet the minimum RN staffing guidelines for RNs mandated by the state of California but must request waivers. Primary care is provided by both MD and advanced practice nurses.

11. The remote location and small hospital size have resulted in MD shortages, although this is not always a concern. Wages at the hospital is among the highest in town, although slightly below the median for the region.

12. The hospital actively collaborates with the tertiary hsps in the region. It participates in formal or informal alliances with rural hsp networks. It also work closely with community organizations that serve the low income and homeless populations in the community.

13. Like other rural hospitals, the cash-strapped hospital is struggling to survive due to increased costs, a high number of uninsured or under insured, reduced payments from public and private insurance, and expenses related to maintaining an older building

14. Payer mix is predominantly beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid

15. The hospital recovers about 95cents on the dollar, 80 cents on the dollar from Medicaid, about 4 cents from self pay. Hospital had about $41 million in revenue this past year but had to write off about $8.5 million for bad debt or charity care, resulting in a total projected loss of $1.8 million. In patient days declined the past year as patients delayed elective surgeries due to higher deductibles, and the economic downturn.

16. Despite these fiscal challenges, the hospital maintains an active quality monitoring program, with most performance indicators scoring at the average level as compared with national benchmarks.

17. Like most rural hospitals, this one also lacks electronic health records. The hospital did apply for federal funding to begin implementation but meeting meaningful criteria is not expected for another 5 years.

18. The board of directors, composed of local community leaders debate whether the goal should be to remain an independent hospital or to focus on ensuring access to health care.

19. Local doctors have expressed interest in contracting or bundling their services with these regional health care systems to ensure financial viability in their private practices.