2. “Capital Investment Decisions” Please respond to the following:

•Assume that you are an administrator for a hospital, and you need to acquire a new technology system so that you may comply with regulatory requirements. Create an argument to be presented to the leadership team in which you justify the need to invest in technology overall. Indicate the value to the organization and provide support for your argument. •During the hospital budgeting process, two (2) projects were presented with the same return on investment. One (1) project involves investment in equipment to improve patient care, while the other involves investment in technology for compliance with regulatory requirements. Determine which of the two (2) projects you believe should be funded, and provide a rationale for the selection.

3. Operating Margins” Please respond to the following:

•Imagine you work for a hospital where the operating margins have been consistently below national norms for the past three (3) years. Discuss one (1) key driver of the below average performance. Suggest one (1) strategy to improve the future management of the driver that you’ve discussed. •Suppose you work for a hospital that was denied a contract with an HMO last year. Legal counsel believes there was a breach of contract and wishes to bring suit against the HMO for damages. The chief executive officer has asked you to work with the controller to develop a defensible measure of the damages experienced during the last year. Create an argument for the reimbursement of damages in which you indicate the denial’s resulting impact to patient care. Provide support for your argument.

4. “Contract Negotiations and Risks” Please respond to the following:

•In the scenario, the contract negotiations between North Creek Healthcare and the community hospital concluded with an agreement on non-financial (legal) terms. Suggest the most critical element of the contract and the impact to the short-term and long-term operational strategy of a community hospital. Indicate the potential implications to the hospital’s financial targets. •From the scenario, recommend one (1) non-financial driver that could have been successfully included within the contract negotiation process between North Creek Healthcare and the community hospital. Provide support for your suggestion. Explain how your recommendation would improve contract negotiations and result in a positive outcome.