Unit 3 Peer Response (Due Sunday)
Unidentified Condition Recap and Response: Cortisol, Bone Loss  

In phase two of the Unit 3 discussion, watch or read the presentation posts created by your classmates and consider the information presented.
Assuming the role of a healthcare professional in training, respond via a video or written presentation to (a minimum) of one classmate. Written presentation responses should be a minimum of 2-3 paragraphs in length per each of the questions listed below.
In the  written presentation response post, include the following:

Summarize the rationalizations given by your classmate. Has your classmate changed their diagnosis opinion?
Outline the aspects in which you agreed and disagreed with their week 3 conclusions and why.
Provide an additional opportunity and positive impact upon their presentation by expanding upon one aspect of your classmate’s conclusions from week 3 with further research.
Within your video or written presentation, please be certain to validate your opinions and ideas while disclosing the sources utilized within your video presentation or written presentation (APA format).

Due Week 4 and worth 300 points
For all assignments assume that you are the administrator of a fictitious organization of your choice.  The organization can be any type of health care organization such as a hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation center, clinic, etc. As the administrator, you are faced with the challenges of declining reimbursements from insurance providers and increasing demands for patient services due to dramatic changes in the external environment. Such changes include those imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Your first step in evaluating the position of your organization will be conducting an environmental analysis. The purpose of this is to determine your organization’s ability to continue to provide quality care and remain financially solvent in the face of these challenges.
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

Determine two (2) specific forces in the external environment that will have the most impact on your organization. Provide a rationale for your decision.
Determine two (2) specific internal factors that the organization’s leaders need to consider in preparing for the future of health care and the future of the organization. Provide a rationale for your decision.
Discuss the impact of both the identified internal and external forces on the organization’s ability to develop a competitive strategy.
Recommend one (1) strategy that involves the organization’s managers in implementing and maintaining the momentum of the strategic plan.
Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites to not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Differentiate between strategic management, strategic thinking, strategic planning, and managing strategic momentum.
Analyze the significance of the external environment’s impact on health care organizations.
Examine the purpose and importance of service area competitor analysis.
Examine the role of internal environmental analysis in identifying the basis for sustained competitive advantage.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in the strategic management of health care organizations.
Write clearly and concisely about strategic management of health care organizations using proper writing mechanics

APA Format
500-700 words
You will select a service category and a service area and conduct an external environment and a service area competitor analysis for a new health care service for your selected hospital organization 
Select a service category and a service area and conduct a complete external environment and service area competitor analysis for a new health care service.
-The project tends to have two phases – one is to identify the general/societal and health care industry issues and the second phase deals with service area competitor issues.
For this portion of the project, students should identify the general issues (legislative/political, economic, social/demographic, technological, and competitive; I recommend actual statistic facts and figures for this information) that affect all industries and organizations. 
Some recommended sources to use for your external environment and service area competitor analysis.
https://www.census.gov/
http://www.city-data.com/
http://www.esri.com/data/esri_data/ziptapestry
Intro
following outline as an initial guide:
I. Specify the Service Category.
II. Delineate the Service Area.
o General
o Economic
o Demographic
o Psychographic
o Health Status
III. Perform a Service Area Structure Analysis.
o Threat of New Entrants
o Intensity of Rivalry
o Threat of Substitutes
o Power of Customers
o Power of Suppliers

Policy Analysis Paper
Purpose: To investigate & integrate knowledge of advanced nursing practice, scholarly
inquiry, & leadership by examining a policy at the level of clinical practice, health care
systems, or public/social health policy. Submit a paper between 7-10 pages
long excluding title page and reference pages. Paper must be organized according to the
guidelines below and should include all the identified sections as required. Paper must be
completed in APA format and contain current scholarly sources dated from 2010 until
current.
Introduction
3 points

 Generally define & describe the policy issue to be addressed.

 Identify the purpose of analysis, the targeted level of policy (i.e., clinical
practice, health care systems, or public/social health) & significance of topic.

 Identify questions the policy analysis is intended to address.
Background
3 points

 Provide details of the issue or problem, including its nature/scope, relevant
literature & history, & the context within which the issue exists.

 Describe existing policy addressing the issue, if any.

 Discuss strengths & shortcomings in existing policy.

 Identify & describe key stakeholders (individuals & groups) that are or will
be affected by the policy & why.
Analysis
9 points

 Identify alternative policies to achieve objectives.

 Establish/identify criteria that will be used for selection of “best” policy.

 Evaluate each alternative & its potential impact relative to the healthcare &
patient outcomes.

 Assess the trade-offs between alternatives.
Recommendations
6 points

 Based on the analysis, identify the “best” alternative to address the current
issue & policy situation.

 Provide rationale forselection.

 Describe possible strategies to implement selected alternative.

 Identify barriers to implementation of selected alternative.

 Describe methods to evaluate policy implementation.
Discussion
6 points

 Discuss analysis & recommendations relative to the original questions
identified, & the level of policy it is intended to address (i.e., clinical
practice, health care systems, or public).

 Identify limitations of analysis.

 Discuss implications for practice, education, research, & policy-making.
Conclusion
1.5 points

 Summarize findings & recommendations of analysis

 Identify questions to be addressed in future studies or policy analyses.
References
1.5 points

 List all references cited in paper. Must be completed in APA format.
Appendices 

 Table displaying results of analysis, including, for example, a list of
alternatives & the degree to which each alternative may be most
effective. Other tables & appendices as needed to support analysis.
Must pass through TURNIT IN

Imagine that you are the clinic manager of an urgent care center. Recently, your center has seen an increase in complaints regarding long wait times, inadequate or incomplete information from staff during visits, and the relatively small number of insurance types accepted at the facility.
Write a 2-3 page paper in which you:

Examine at least three (3) examples of quality initiatives that could increase patient satisfaction and potentially reduce healthcare cost. Support your response with examples of the successful application your chosen quality initiatives.
Defend your position on the decision to accept Medicare or Medicaid as potential pay sources for your urgent care center. Provide support with at least two (2) examples that illustrate your position.
Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Analyze the impact of healthcare financing and health insurance on healthcare access, quality, and cost.
Determine the factors that affect healthcare quality in healthcare organizations.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in healthcare policy, law, and ethics.
Write clearly and concisely about healthcare policy and law using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.