Introduction
Vanguard Health is a long-term care provider in the United States of America which was founded in 1997. The healthcare system is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. The system has many facilities that provide rehabilitation and excellent nursing services to patients who are recovering from illness, injury, or surgery. Currently, Vanguard Health operates in more than 26 locations and has over 36,800 employees. The organization is guided by the passion for excellence in the delivery of healthcare and to enhance the dignity of life for the population it serves. According to the administration of Vanguard Health, the main mandate is to ensure excellent clinical practice in long-term healthcare and to deliver services that are customized to the needs of each patient (Vanguard Health, 2012). To advance the excellent clinical care in the long-term, the organization embraces the tenets of non-profit healthcare and integrates them with business strategies used to run privately owned health care organizations. The following paper outlines the measures the organization should take to continue providing the excellent long term care in the next decade.
Strategic Plan
In the US, long term care is very essential. It helps to meet the needs of people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The majority of the people who require long-term care services cannot take care of themselves for a long period. It is due to this reason that Vanguard Health has invested in specialty hospitals, complementary facilities, and acute care centers. In total, there are 28 centers operated by the organization across different states. In order to ensure continued care provision, Vanguard has employed a business model that integrates the tenets of operating non-profit health care organizations and privately-owned organizations. The business model serves as a bridge between non-health profit system and for-profit organizations (Vanguard Health, 2012); in so doing, Vanguard Health delivers its mandate through a system of partners such as Medicaid and other strategic partners engaged in health care delivery.
Growth of Network
The demand for long term care services across the US has been on the increase. In order to cater for the increasing number of people who need the care, Vanguard has been expanding its network and increasing the capacity of the already existing centers. The growth of the network has mainly been through the establishment of locally branded and comprehensive hospitals that deliver care in urban centers. Examples of the healthcare facilities include Metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, and Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan among other urban markets. Through acquisitions, Vanguard Health has been able to expand its network to the current 28 hospitals spread in different states in the US. However, there have been challenges in some states. For example, in 2011 Vanguard Health turned away from the acquisition of the Holy Cross Hospital which is located on the Southwest Side. The slow pace of the acquisition in the Chicago area has mainly been due to the slow pace of payment of Medicaid from the Illinois program. Despite the challenges, the for-profit component of its business model requires Vanguard Health to have consistent growth. The shareholders require the system to perform and achieve operational efficiency.
US healthcare firms are affected by many dynamics. There have been acquisitions and mergers in order to cut costs, tap growth, and enhance efficiency. Due to the nature of operations, Vanguard Health is more aligned to care services for the elderly. The aging Americans have contributed to the increased demand for long-term care. Therefore, in order to continue providing excellent care in the next decade, Vanguard Health needs to strengthen the operating capacity of the 28 hospitals. It also needs to come up with strategies that will assist in expanding to all states in order to meet the needs of the aging populations and overcome the operational challenges.
Staffing
Nursing services play an essential role in long term care at the hospital, community, and other nursing facilities. For instance, nurses are pivotal in the quality improvement of long-term care (Edlund, Lufkin & Franklin, 2013). Bearing in mind the role of nurses in the provision of long-term care, Vanguard Health employs skilled nurses and physicians who are tasked with the provision of rehabilitation. Vanguard Health has a motivated team of health professionals who comprise of nurses, physicians, occupational, and speech therapists dedicated to providing quality care. The staff works as a team to provide compassionate care to patients. The employees are trained to be patient and understand the needs of the patients in order to provide holistic care. Therefore, to continue advancing the quality care, Vanguard Health should continue investing in qualified and highly trained employees who provide customized care to the patients. The role of trained nurses cannot be underestimated in long-term care; thus, it is upon Vanguard to maintain a pool of motivated nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Resource Management
Resource management includes control of the human capital and the facilities within the system. Vanguard Health has continued to invest in long-term care by availing technology and resources that are needed to enhance the overall care given to the patients (Vanguard Health, 2010). Through the hybrid operation model, the organization focuses on quality care delivery by employing strategies that enhance operational efficiency. For example, the shareholders put a lot of pressure on management to expand to new locations and at the same time deliver value for their money. The model of a non-profit organization has led to the collaboration between the organization and the Medicaid program. This ensures that beneficiaries of Medicaid can be treated at the Vanguard’s hospitals. Despite the success that has been recorded in relation to the collaboration, Vanguard Health has experienced challenges such as delayed payments of the Medicaid funds that affect its service delivery.
Satisfaction of Patients
The satisfaction of patients is an indicator of quality delivery of care. According to Prakash (2010), satisfaction affects the clinical outcome and retention of patients. In order to ensure the satisfaction of patients, Vanguard has ensured that its healthcare providers are highly trained to understand and address the needs of the patients. In addition, the general environment at its facilities is fantastic. This is complemented by state of the art technologies which enhance the experience of the patients.
Conclusion
In order to meet the needs of the patients in the next decade, Vanguard Health should invest in processes that strengthen its business. For example, devise strategies to overcome challenges that relate to slowed expansion due to the dependence on the Medicaid program in some states. Vanguard Health should also ensure that it maintains a system of work in which healthcare providers work as a team to deliver quality care to patients across its network.
References
Edlund, B. J., Lufkin, S., & Franklin, B. (2013). Long-term care planning for baby boomers: Addressing an uncertain future. Journal of Issues in Nursing, 8(2), 3- 11.
Prakash, B. (2010). Patient satisfaction. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 3(3), 151-157.
Vanguard Health. (2010). Vanguard health systems overview.
Vanguard Health. (2012). Vanguard health care services. Web.