1. Raymond is a 54-year-old man who lives in a rural part of Mississippi. He is a skilled worker but his job does not provide health insurance. Raymond does not qualify for Medicaid, and he cannot pay for health insurance. He has not received consistent or coordinated healthcare for most of his life. The closest clinic is over 30 miles away, and he does not have the money for both the co-pays and gas. Raymond has been diagnosed with hypertension, and his family history includes pulmonary embolisms and heart disease. 

Emmanuel is 55-year-old man who lives in Jackson, Mississippi. He is an office manager and receives insurance from his employer. Emmanuel has had annual medical and dental exams from the same providers for several years. Emmanuel has a family history of Type 2 diabetes and he was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic and obese. Emmanuel received referrals to an endocrinologist and a registered dietitian, and he was instructed to increase his physical activity. 

· Describe the challenges and barriers to access; affordability; and availability for Raymond and Emmanuel. Indicate why these challenges exist (1–2 pages) 

· Describe the potential social, economic, and health outcomes for Raymond and Emmanuel if prevention had a higher priority in the US. Include how the barriers identified above can be overcome and how this could improve their outcomes (1 page)

2. Define the continuum of care process, including objectives and the relationship to organizations and patients. 

3. Describe the personnel who should be part of a interdisciplinary team that focuses on patient-centered care in an inpatient setting. List at least sixdisciplines and provide a rationale for including each as a member of the team.

4. You are assisting the human resource director at a large general hospital. As part of a report to the chief executive officer (CEO), she has asked you to outline specific essential functions/responsibilities and goals for at least threeclinical, threetechnical, and threeadministrative departments (9 departments total). Describe the essential functions/responsibilities and goals of these hospital departments. (1–2 pages)

5.  Admission policies can differ between various types of healthcare organizations.  Provide compare and contrast how admission policies could differ between for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and how this difference relates to access to care.

6. There are many different organizations and institutions that are major players in the healthcare system. Briefly describe how each of the following influences healthcare.  Consider both potential and negative influences when formulating your answer. Use at least one other reference in addition to the organizations website for each organization.  

· Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

· Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

· American Medical Association (AMA)

· American Hospital Association (AHA)

· Joint Commission (JC)

· Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

· State Department of Health (student’s state)

· Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

· U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

7.  Define vertically integrated health systems and horizontally integrated systems, including the business goals and patient outcomes. Then, explain the impact these systems have on healthcare today. (1 page)