INTRODUCTION

…a healthcare organization, such as a hospital, could be imagined to be like a watch. A watchmaker could gather from around the world the best-in-class components—spring, regulator, bearings, and so forth—to assemble, but the resulting watch would be unlikely to run, let alone keep accurate time. It’s how the components work together that creates an accurate watch. … Healthcare organizations are not watches, but the analogy applies. If we want a healthcare organization to succeed, it must be appreciated as a system, the components of which work together to create success. (Schyve, 2017, p. 1)

It is an exciting time to work in health care. Numerous emerging trends and advances make health care a dynamic field, but these issues and trends require healthcare administrators, managers, and leaders to recognize the complexity and diversity of the organizations in which they work. It is critical that healthcare professionals stay abreast of emerging issues that impact health care and the delivery of services. This better enables healthcare organizations to succeed in meeting the needs of the populations they serve. By developing productive relationships within the system, healthcare administrators can promote organizational excellence and better meet the needs of the stakeholders their organizations serve.

Your consultation and collaboration with colleagues will be essential for your growth and development in this Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program and throughout your career as a healthcare administrator. In the Discussion for this module, you begin to build relationships with your course colleagues by sharing what led you to this program and what you hope to gain for the future.

During this module, you also examine the rapidly evolving landscape in which healthcare administrators, managers, and leaders work. You consider challenges frequently encountered in contemporary organizations, trends that are likely to affect health care delivery, and opportunities that healthcare managers have to leverage key leadership competencies that promote positive social change on behalf of impacted individuals and populations.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:

Explain career/program aspirations

Evaluate implications for healthcare administrators of a trend, issue, or challenge that impacts U.S. healthcare delivery system outcomes

Illustrate how key leadership competencies can promote positive social change in a social determinant of health

MHA PROGRAM AND PROFESSIONAL ASPIRATIONS

Posting Information for This Discussion

WAL_MMHA_Transformation Badge.pngThis Discussion aligns to the NCHL domain of Transformation. Specifically, it focuses on the first level of the Change Leadership competency: “Identifies Areas for Change.” For more information on how this icon aligns to the NCHL Health Leadership Competency Model 3.0, refer to the MHA Iconography page.

As you begin the MHA program at Walden University, you have an opportunity to develop a community of support with your colleagues. In this Discussion, you begin establishing valuable connections with colleagues by sharing personal reflections on your journey to this MHA program and where you hope your degree will take you in the future. You also consider current trends in health care and how this degree program will help you address issues and/or challenges as a healthcare administrator.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review the Learning Resources assigned in this module.

Next, consider what motivated you to pursue an MHA degree at Walden University at this specific time in your life. What do you expect to gain through your work in this degree program?

Review the trends, issues, and challenges presented in the Learning Resources. Which one would you most like to learn about and address as a student at Walden, a healthcare administrator, and an agent of positive social change? Consider the implications, including how they affect people’s environments. How can this degree better prepare you to address them?

If you are an international student, you may investigate trends that are likely to impact health care delivery in your country.

Consider how you might leverage key leadership competencies to positively influence the trend, issue, or challenge with the goal of creating a positive outcome for the affected community(ies).

Post a cohesive response to the following:

1. Explain your career/program aspirations, your reasons for pursuing an MHA degree at Walden University, and your expectations for this program. 10 PLUS YEARS IN THE FIELD OF NURSING

2. Identify one contemporary healthcare trend, issue, or challenge that impacts U.S. healthcare delivery system outcomes.

3. Evaluate the implications of your identified trend, issue, or challenge for healthcare administrators, managers, or leaders. Include how earning this degree may help you address them as a healthcare administrator, manager, or leader.

4. Illustrate how leveraging key leadership competencies could impact your ability to address the trend, issue, or challenge in a way that promotes positive change in at least one social determinant of health.

Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.

Refer to the Module 1 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will u
se this grading rubric to assess your work.

Required Readings & Links THAT WILL BE USED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE ALSO CAN BE USED TO REFERENCE YOUR WORK

Green-Weir, R. R., Anderson, D. M., & Carpenter, R. (2022). Health administrators go beyond the healthcare leadership alliance in defining soft skill competenciesLinks to an external site.. Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, 20(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.46743/1540-580X/2022.2149

Lahey, T., & Nelson, W. (2020). A dashboard to improve the alignment of healthcare organization decisionmaking to core values and mission statementLinks to an external site.. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 29(1), 156–162. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0963180119000884

Pittman, J., & Kolakowski, M. (2020). Leading in a complex healthcare ecosystemLinks to an external site.. Journal of Leadership Accountability and Ethics, 17(6), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.33423/jlae.v17i6.3793

Walden University. (n.d.). Center for social changeLinks to an external site.. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/social-change

Walden University. (n.d.). Social determinants of healthLinks to an external site.. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/Library/sdoh

Note: When you click this link, you will be directed to a section that is also titled “Social Determinants of Health.” Be sure to also explore the section titled “SDOH Collection,” which is accessed through the left-hand navigation menu of this webpage.

Use two or more of the following resources to investigate trends, issues, and/or challenges in preparation for the Discussion:

Deloitte. (2021). 2022 global health care outlookLinks to an external site.. https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/Industries/life-sciences-health-care/perspectives/global-health-care-sector-outlook.html

Price Waterhouse Cooper. (n.d.). Next in health services 2023Links to an external site.. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/healthcare-trends.html

RAND Corporation. (n.d.). Health, health care, and agingLinks to an external site.. https://www.rand.org/topics/health-health-care-and-aging.html

Rehman, A., Naz, S., & Razzak, I. (2022). Leveraging big data analytics in healthcare enhancement: trends, challenges and opportunitiesLinks to an external site.. Multimedia Systems, 28(4), 1339–1371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00530-020-00736-8

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Health topicsLinks to an external site.. https://www.who.int/health-topics