Organizational Structure Design



Organizational Structure DesignSusan CodyNational UniversityHealthcare LeadershipHCA 670Dr. Joann HarperOctober 19, 2014Organizational Structure DesignKaiser Permanente is the nation’s largest not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system. Founded in 1945, the organization has more than 164,000 employees and 15,100 physicians serving more than 8.6 million members. Kaiser Permanente has a health care delivery system committed to preventative care and the empowerment of members to maximize their Total Health-mind, body, and spirit. (Lofgren & Cantu, 2010) This paper will discuss a few of the issues related to Kaiser Permanente’s organizational structure and culture.Culture and Organizational StructureThe organizational structure of the Patient Care Services at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Diego is complex and dynamic. The structure is hierarchical with the Senior Vice-President and Executive Director at the top of the chart. The Chief Nurse Executive reports to the Senior VP, with a Nurse Scientist and a Nurse Champion reporting to the CNE. Directors for Medical-Surgical, Maternal/Child, Periop, PCS Ops, and Quality/Safety are aligned in the hierarchy. (Appendix)Kaiser Permanente (KP) has also adopted a shared leadership structure. Shared leadership involves the combining of official and unofficial leaders to develop positive outcomes. (Pearce, Wassenaar, & Manz, 2014) Shared leadership requires simultaneous and ongoing influences to secure a mutual outcome. When this process is shared across behavioral approaches, structural boundaries, and organizational forms, the results are positively remarkable. (Pearce, Wassenaar, & Manz, 2014) KP has achieved this culture by developing committees and councils lead by nurses and other health care professionals. The Staff Nurse Council is central to all activities and assists in helping to facilitate collaborative methods that promote clinical effectiveness throughout the organization. (Nursing Pathways, 2011)Shared leadership provides greater transparency, and it balances concerns for various stakeholders. This process also taps into the knowledge, experience and capacities of organization members, thereby promoting responsible leadership. (Pearce, Wassenaar, & Manz, 2014) Empowerment is another strong aspect of leadership. Empowerment includes job enrichment, self-managing work teams, and being able to control the general quality and constant improvement of care. (Hossein, Saleh, Iman, & Jaafar, 2012) KP San Diego (KPSD) has been focusing on developing a culture of collaboration among all health care workers. This approach has increased staff morale, job satisfaction, and motivation, and has promoted interpersonal relationships and increased ownership that provides a sense of worth within the organization.Environment of Support for Client-Centered CareKPSD has adopted a model of care that places the patient, member, and family at the center of the caring wheel. KPs mission is to provide extraordinary nursing care, every patient, every time. To achieve this KP is currently focusing of increasing the professionalism of nurses, providing patient and family-centered care, and by increasing compassion, teamwork, excellence, and integrity among all health care staff. Patient-centered care improves patient outcomes by reducing medical errors, increasing patient satisfaction, and reducing employee turnover. For Kaiser Permanente to achieve this goal it must shift from institutional and physician-focused care that emphasize professional roles and hierarchies to patient-centered care that emphasizes clients’ needs and preferences. (Nursing Pathways, 2011)The power of information is what motivates followers to comply and meet the needs of the organization. (Sullivan & Decker, 2009) Communication and meaningful information resolves most organization problems efficiently and quickly. Success is dependent on the ability and knowledge of the management team to support the decision-making processes and implement significant change. Implementing cultural changes, increasing the value of innovation, and participative decision-making processes should be a fundamental goal of any health care organization. (Jbilou, Landry, Amara, & El Adlouni, 2009) At KPSD, middle management is responsible for delivering effective communication to the front-line staff. This is achieved at staff meetings, daily knowledge exchange in staff huddles, staff in-services, and by engaging staff to participate in committees, councils, and Unit Based Teams. By empowering these groups to enhance patient care and staff satisfaction, KPSD has created a valuable organization that continues to THRIVE. (Lofgren & Cantu, 2010) While the KPSD organizational chart is basically a mechanical one in outline, it is required to also remain organic in its ability to respond to changes in regulations, and to the culture of the employees and members. (Shahabadi & Pourkiani, 2014) HYPERLINK "$N?accountid=25320" \o "Click to search for more items by this author" KPSD is an organization that recognizes the need for a strong infrastructure that includes open communication and the need for recognition and reward. KP continues to develop skills to manage and motivate staff by enhancing various talents in an organization, while maintaining an organizational structure that has much to offer to attain number one as health care provider in Southern California. ReferencesHossein, R. D., Saleh, P. A., Iman, A. M., & Jaafar, A. (2012, August). An analysis of the empowerment level of employees and its relation to organizational factors. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3, 15. 255-263.Jbilou, J., Landry, R., Amara, N., & El Adlouni, S. (2009). Combining communication technology utilization and organizational innovation: evidence from Canadian healthcare decision makers. Journal of Medical Systems, 33, 4. 275-286.Lofgren, D., & Cantu, D. (2010). THRIVE. Marketing Health Services, 30, 3. 8-11. Nursing Pathways (2011). The nursing strategy. Kaiser Permanente. Retrieved on Oct 8, 2014Pearce, C. L., Wassenaar, C. L., & Manz, C. C. (2014). Is shared leadership the key to responsible leadership? The Academy of Management Perspectives, 23, 3. 278-288.Shahabadi, M. E., & Pourkiani, M. (2014, September). Explanation of the relationships between different types of organizational structure and strategic capabilities of employees: descriptive analysis. Kuwait Chapter of the Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 4, 1. 96-106.Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P. J. (2009). Effective leadership and management in nursing (7th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.Appendix ................
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