For this assignment, you will choose one of the organizations below or a nonprofit hospital in your community to research and complete the SWOT Analysis template. You may continue using the organization used in the Week 1 Mission, Vision, and Values discussion forums but you are free to select a different organization. Please note, you are required to use the same organization for the final paper in Week 5: CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System Cleveland Clinic Henry Ford Health System Lutheran Services in America Mayo Clinic Medtronic Shriners Hospitals for Children Jude Children’s Research Hospital Stanford Medical Center Trinity Health UC Davis Medical Center University hospital or other nonprofit hospital in your community University of Texas Health (UT Health) Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) Information search tips: Search the organization’s name on the internet. Open the homepage of the organization. Select the links for the different pages, usually located at the top of the webpage or in the footer. In addition, you can enter the organization’s name and the topic term in the search box. For this assignment, you will also want to read customer reviews, which will assist you in identifying strengths and weaknesses at the organization. The search keywords for this are Hospital Name, customer reviews. It is recommended that you look at multiple review websites to get a full picture of the customers’ perspectives. For additional guidance, review the following resources: What Is CRAAP? A Guide to Evaluating Web Sources (Links to an external site.) Advanced Internet Search Techniques (Links to an external site.) Keywords Are Critical (Links to an external site.) Section 1 Identify the organization and include the URL for their website. Create a SWOT analysis for the chosen organization. Strengths Identify three strengths of the organization (e.g., competitive advantage, high-quality care, access to care, affordability, accreditation). Explain your rationale for each choice. Describe how the stated strengths can be built on to ensure longevity of the organization. Weaknesses Identify three weaknesses of the organization (e.g., lack of defined purpose [who they are serving], low-quality care, poor customer service and customer ratings, lack of accreditation [the Joint Commission]). Explain your rationale for each choice. Provide an example of the stated weaknesses and potential issues that can happen. Opportunities Identify three opportunities of the organization (Tip: Review the textbook for examples of opportunities for the organization.). Explain your rationale for each choice. Discuss how the opportunities identified could be leveraged to the organization’s advantage. Threats Identify three threats to the organization (Tip: Review the textbook for examples of threats to an organization.). Explain your rationale for each choice. Discuss one option for reducing each threat identified. Summarize the details from the SWOT analysis in a SWOT box. Section 2 BASED ON THE OUTCOMES OF YOUR SWOT ANALYSIS, Explain how the organization’s mission and vision are affected by the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified. Describe how the identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats affect the organization’s values and culture. Discuss how the organization may be impacted should the internal weaknesses significantly increase. Examine the impact external threats (e.g., public entities [state or federal regulatory bodies] or competition) may have on the organization’s market share. The SWOT Analysis paper Must be a minimum of four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style (Links to an external site.) as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft Word (Links to an external site.) resource. Must use the SWOT Analysis  template. Must include a separate title page with the following: Title of paper in bold font Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page. Student’s name Name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus) Course name and number Instructor’s name Due date Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance. Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper. For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) and Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Writing Center resources. Must use at least three credible sources in addition to the course text. The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source. To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view the Quick and Easy Library Research (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips. Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) guide. Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Writing Center for specifications. Week 5 Final paper For your final paper you will continue with the same organization you chose for the Week 3 SWOT analysis, which addressed one of the following health care organizations: CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System Cleveland Clinic Henry Ford Health System Lutheran Services in America MAYO CLINIC Medtronic Shriners Hospitals for Children Jude Children’s Research Hospital Stanford Medical Center Trinity Health UC Davis Medical Center University hospital or other nonprofit hospital in your community University of Texas Health (UT Health) Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) Information search tips: Search the organization’s name on the internet. Open the homepage of the organization. Select the links for the different pages, usually located at the top of the webpage or in the footer. In addition, you can enter the organization’s name and the topic in the search box. Additional tips are included below in the assignment directives. For additional guidance, review the following resources: What Is CRAAP? A Guide to Evaluating Web Sources (Links to an external site.) Advanced Internet Search Techniques (Links to an external site.) Keywords Are Critical (Links to an external site.) Conduct an evaluation of the organization based on strategic planning analysis. Your evaluation of the organization’s strategic plan must include the following: Analyze the internal environment. Identify at least two internal problems associated with the organization and explain the rationale. Examples may include Patient experience Internet search keywords: organization name + patient reviews Telehealth availability Limited marketing Delayed payments for billed services Cybersecurity Internet search keywords: organization name and security breach or cybersecurity or ransomware attack Price transparency Health care staffing shortages Analyze the external environment. Examine all the following external issues that can impact the organization’s ability to meet the Mission, Vision, and Values and the goals identified in the strategic plan: Political Economic Social Technological Environmental Legal Evaluate the competitive advantage of the organization. Explain what the organization does that no other organization in the community or region does. Examples may include Differentiation from competitors in the community Reputation Superior location (e.g., Consider the income of the area and who the consumers are likely to be based on the location.) Customer satisfaction Convenience Price level Examine the role of stakeholders (address at least three of the following): Government Accrediting bodies Insurance providers Patients Licensed professionals Other health care organizations (e.g., competitors and partners) Large employers in the area (e.g., up- or downsizing in number of employees and how that affects the health care organization, or employer needs for specialized care providers) Assess the services provided (address at least three of the following): New or innovative services or products Renowned health care providers (e.g., a doctor who has special expertise or experience) Availability of financial support for qualifying patients (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, financial assistance opportunities) Modern technology and equipment Equitable care that ensures a fair distribution of care among all individuals in the community and is culturally competent (Tip: Evaluate the mission, vision, and values statements to determine the organization’s position on equitable and culturally competent care). Analyze the organization’s competencies and resources. Intellectual capital (choose two) Professional competency (e.g., highly qualified and credentialed health care workers) Information systems and data management Contracts with state or federal government (certified to provide care to patients using Medicare and Medicaid) Contracts with insurance providers (e.g., in- versus out-of-network costs to patients) Contracts with other organizations to provide care for employees (e.g., large employers in the community—see stakeholders segment above) Organizational competencies (choose two) Managing the continuum of care (e.g., maintaining contact with the patient over a long period of time and across health services to ensure they receive the best possible care) Training physicians and staff to ensure their skills, knowledge, and behaviors reflect current industry standards and best practices Review of strategic plans and altering the plans as needed (e.g., alternative strategies) Environmental scanning (e.g., benchmarking the services, skills, and work force against competitors) Create a recommendation for the future direction of the organization of choice. Based on the findings on the topics above, address the following: What recommendations can be made to ensure the organization manages future growth or continued success? What are the short-, medium-, and long-term changes that need to be considered? What does the organization need to do to maintain its financial health and viability? The Organizational Evaluation final paper Must be a minimum of eight double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style (Links to an external site.) as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft Word (Links to an external site.) resource. Must include a separate title page with the following: Title of paper in bold font, which will include the organization’s name Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page. Student’s name Name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus) Course name and number Instructor’s name Due date Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance. Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper. For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) and Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Writing Center resources. Must use at least five credible sources in addition to the course text. The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source. To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view the Quick and Easy Library Research (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips. Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) guide. Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Writing Center for specifications. Week 4 Strategic planning in a health care organization requires leadership to incorporate many factors. For example, they must consider state and federal laws and regulations as well as having comprehensive knowledge about the competition, financial resources and revenue streams, the organization’s patient mix, and have a good understanding of the scope of their own employees. Health care leaders are responsible for gathering data and creating a strategic plan. They are also responsible for guiding the organization in achieving the goals identified in the plan. For this assignment use the Contributing Factors to a Strategic Plan template to address the following: Analyze at least two ways federal and state regulations can limit the strategic plan’s goals for a health care organization. You may choose topics from the list below or other topics you locate through research. If you locate other topics not listed below, you must get permission from your instructor to use the topic: Behavioral health Certificate of Need (CoN) or similar state requirements (expansion of buildings and services, number of beds, etc.) Civil rights, racial equity, and cultural competency in health care Environmental requirements Fraud and abuse laws HIPAA (patient privacy and portability of health care insurance) HITECH Act (information collection and security) Medication guides and new releases or removals of pharmaceutical products Partnerships with other organizations Patient and insurance billing requirements (e.g., physician fee schedule in Medicare Part B, value-based care, etc.) Patient safety standards (located in the Joint Commission E-dition) Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act Stark Law (anti-kickback) Telehealth regulations and payment limitations OSHA (workplace safety) Identify two ways in which licensed health care providers contribute to the direction of a health care organization’s strategic plans. Provide rationale for each method of contribution. Examine financial incentives and reward systems for attaining or exceeding objectives. Who should receive financial incentives when the expected outcomes are achieved or exceeded? How can employees who do not receive financial incentives be rewarded for their contributions to the successful outcomes of the strategic planning goals? Discuss at least two management actions that could be taken when organization-wide and functional objectives are not achieved. This can apply to an individual leader, to a small team, or to an entire department. Provide rationale for each management action identified. The Contributing Factors to a Strategic Plan paper

Mastering the Art of Online Learning: Your Guide to Acing Online Courses

Introduction

In recent years, the popularity of online courses has skyrocketed, offering learners the flexibility to acquire new skills and knowledge from the comfort of their homes. However, succeeding in online courses requires a different approach compared to traditional classroom settings. To help you make the most of your online learning experience, this article presents essential strategies and tips to ace your online courses.

1. Set Clear Goals and Plan Ahead

Before embarking on an online course, establish clear goals and objectives. Determine what you hope to achieve by the end of the course and break down your goals into manageable milestones. Create a study schedule that aligns with your other commitments, ensuring you allocate dedicated time for coursework, assignments, and revision.

2. Create a Productive Study Environment

Establishing a conducive study environment is crucial for online learning success. Find a quiet, well-lit space where you can concentrate without distractions. Remove any potential interruptions, such as notifications from social media or email. Organize your study materials and have a reliable internet connection to ensure seamless access to course materials.

3. Actively Engage in the Course

Active participation is key to mastering online courses. Engage with course materials, including videos, readings, and interactive components. Take comprehensive notes, highlighting key concepts and ideas. Participate in discussion boards, forums, and virtual meetings to interact with instructors and peers, fostering a sense of community and enhancing your understanding of the subject matter.

4. Manage Your Time Effectively

Online courses offer flexibility, but it’s essential to manage your time wisely to avoid falling behind. Create a detailed schedule, allocating specific time slots for coursework, assignments, and studying. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable segments to prevent procrastination. Prioritize tasks based on deadlines and dedicate focused time to each one, ensuring consistent progress throughout the course.

5. Develop Effective Communication Skills

Online courses often rely on written communication, making it crucial to hone your skills in this area. Be concise and clear in your written responses, paying attention to grammar and spelling. Actively participate in discussions, asking thoughtful questions and providing constructive feedback to your peers. Regularly check your course emails and notifications, ensuring you stay updated with any important announcements or changes.

6. Utilize Available Resources

Take full advantage of the resources provided by your online course platform and instructors. Familiarize yourself with the learning management system (LMS) and explore its features. Access supplementary materials, such as textbooks, lecture slides, and external resources recommended by instructors. Utilize online libraries, research databases, and tutorial services to deepen your understanding of the subject matter.

7. Stay Motivated and Engaged

Maintaining motivation throughout an online course can be challenging, particularly when faced with competing priorities or a lack of face-to-face interaction. Set short-term goals and reward yourself upon their completion. Connect with fellow learners through virtual study groups or online forums to foster a sense of camaraderie. Regularly remind yourself of the benefits and personal growth associated with completing the course successfully.

8. Seek Support and Clarification

Don’t hesitate to seek support or clarification when needed. Reach out to your instructors for guidance or clarification on course material. Utilize online discussion forums to ask questions or engage in collaborative problem-solving. Leverage the support services provided by your course platform or institution, such as technical support or academic advising.

Conclusion

Online courses present unique opportunities for self-paced learning and personal growth. By setting clear goals, creating a productive study environment, actively engaging with course materials, and managing your time effectively, you can maximize your chances of acing online courses. Remember to stay motivated, seek support when needed, and make the most of the available resources. Embrace the flexibility and adaptability of online learning to achieve your educational goals.