Getting Started

“Case 1: The Community” contains the demographic, geographic, social, educational, political, and economic characteristics of the community in which healthcare organizations operate. The remaining cases focus on the organizations noted in Case 1 as “medical resources.” Case 1 also introduces you to community concerns and issues that will influence decisions made for these organizations individually.

This week’s assignment addresses elements from your previous course work in health issues, statistics, and healthcare principles and policies. It is designed to assess your competence in identifying problems and opportunities, systems thinking, and critical thinking and analysis, all of which are competencies identified by employers and recognized by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Upon successful completion of the course material, you will be able to:

• Define problems and opportunities within the community’s healthcare delivery environment.
• Identify cultural issues relevant to the community.
• Demonstrate systems thinking in the evaluation of the community’s healthcare delivery environment.
• Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis of information relevant to the community’s healthcare delivery environment.

Resources

• Textbook: The Middleboro Casebook: Healthcare Strategy and Operations
• Website: OCLS

Background Information

Every healthcare organization is charged with improving the health of the community in which it functions. Today, federal requirements are pushing organizations to further their involvement in the overall health of communities.

In order to assess and improve health services in Hillsboro County, we need a comprehensive understanding of population characteristics and anticipated changes.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. Read “Case 1: The Community” in the text. Read this material carefully as you will refer to aspects of it throughout the course. Details are included that influence each of the remaining cases.
3. Develop a case review report addressing the issues below. The data needed for analysis is included in the case study. You should utilize this data to provide quantitative justification for your conclusions. Short answers to the questions will not be enough. There needs to be, where appropriate, analysis of the data that supports your responses.
4. The report should be approximately five to seven pages in length. It will include a properly formatted title and reference page. Be sure to use proper APA formatting for headings and citation of tables and graphs.
5. Address the following questions and provide appropriate quantitative justification to support your conclusions and recommendations.
   1. Over the past five years, which of the communities located in Hillsboro County have grown faster than the overall rate of population increase in Hillsboro County? Which have grown slower than the overall rate?
   2. Identify cultural issues that need consideration when assessing the population.
   3. Based on your findings above, indicate the five most significant assessments involving Hillsboro County and its communities. For each critical assessment, indicate your rationale and assess its significance on the health and healthcare services in Hillsboro County.