Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Essay Example

This paper is an organizational analysis of Bethesda Memorial Hospital,  “where healing happens everyday” (Bethesda Memorial Hospital).  Bethesda Memorial is a 401 bed fully accredited not-for-profit health community services agency located in Boynton Beach, Florida.  It is believed that it has been Bethesda’s deep commitment to the community that is largely responsible for its rapid growth. Some of the services its 525 physicians and 2,300 employees provide  are “comprehensive cancer care; comprehensive cardiovascular services; orthopaedics; maternity services, including a level III neonatal intensive care unit; advanced primary stroke center; inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation” (ibid.), with its main strengths being the heart hospital and orthopaedics.

Bethesda Hospital’s mission statement is:  “to provide quality health services in a caring manner” (Landacorp, 2008).  Bethesda Hospital’s philosophy and framework is “based upon the Walter S. and Lucienne Driskill Caring Excellence Model of Care.  This model recognizes the multi layers of a patient’s needs and strives to support not only the physical but also the emotional and spiritual needs of the patient” (Bethesda College of Health Sciences Catalog, 2012). The result is expected to be an effective “integration of caring skills with clinical skills so that a philosophy of ‘Caring Excellence’ becomes second nature to all caregiver roles at Bethesda” (ibid.).

According to Carter and Gill, “hospitals are characterized by a complicated organizational structure, an extensive division of labor, and an elaborate system of tasks, functions, and social interactions.”  A hospital has many departments; such as, for example, surgical and emergency.  “Authority in a hospital is shared by a triad:  the board of trustees, doctors, and administrators.  Because hospitals are extremely dependent upon the community they serve, there is no such thing as a ‘standard’ hospital” (ibid.).  Bethesda does, however, have a well-laid-out organizational chart, which has at the top the board of trustees with the internal auditor and the BMS Board of Trustees being able to report directly to the board as can the president of BHS and BMH.  All of the vice-presidents of departments can, however, only get to the Board of Trustees through the president; and everyone else reports to his or her vice-president. However,  under certain conditions, they  would be able to go further up the chain of command.  This is not unlike most organizational charts of large corporations.  The vice-president of communications has the most departments reporting to him or her, all of which are critical to the smooth operation not only to Bethesda Hospital, but also to virtually any large organization.  According to a health care evaluation, Bethesda scored much higher in all categories than the national average.  “Healthgrades ratings show that five star hospitals (which is Bethesda’s rating,) offer vastly better patient outcome”

From all that could be found on the websites, there seemed to be very little credence given to shared governance with nurses, although according to help wanted ads, nurses are well paid, receive excellent benefits, educational opportunities on and off site, and one of the best retirement plans in the country.

References

Bethesda College of Health Science Catalog (2012).  Governance philosophy/conceptual Framework.  Bethesda Memorial Hospital.  Retrieved on August 04, 2012, from www.bethesdacollege.net/uploads/Bethesda_College_Catalog_4.17.12.

Bethesda Memorial Hospital.  Retrieved on August 04, 2012, from http://www.bethesdaweb.com.

Carter, S. L. And Gill, T. G. Bethesda Healthcare Systems: Physician Information System. Retrieved on August 04, 2012, from http://condor.depaul.edu/nsutclil/IS%/20150%/20change%/mgt%/20heading.

Healthgrades:  Bethesda Memorial Hospital.  Retrieved on August 04, 2012, from www.healthgrades.com/hospital.directory/florida.

Landacorp. (March 06, 2008).  Bethesda Memorial Hospital activate additional modules of Landacorp’s Maxsys IE management software.  Rerieved on August 04, 2012, from www.landacorp.com/blog/819/BethesdaMemorial-Hospital-activ