For the field of healthcare administration, healthcare leaders and administrators may contribute to the public policy process by advocating for and implementing policy changes to enhance delivery goals for an HSO while also benefitting the HSO's patient population. Yet, within the public policy process, how do healthcare leaders best engage in the process?

There are four steps in the public policy process: 1) identifying a problem, 2) formulating a policy, 3) implementing the policy change, and 4) evaluating the result. While the steps identified here are simplified, they do present a cycle or sequence that healthcare administration leaders may act upon to influence public policy. Consider how healthcare leaders might have contributed to the public policy that brought about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). At what step in the process might have healthcare administration professionals contributed their perspective in designing or implementing this law?

Consider how healthcare leaders might influence the public policy process. Consider what healthcare leaders must do to maximize the business and healthcare delivery goals of an HSO.

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