Hospitals are built to save lives and provide high-quality health care. However, to do these things, it is necessary to save the hospital first. It has been six months after the mandate was given to Bruce Reid, appointed new CEO of the Blake Memorial Hospital, to improve both the quality of healthcare as well as the hospital’s finance department. Bruce Reid had to finalize a budget worth $70 million he faces a dilemma because of several underfunded clinics which were established 5 years ago by the former CEO of the hospital which literally takes most of the hospital’s budget or funds.
Somehow, this dilemma brings back a past memory to Bruce Reid. Bruce Reid’s memory back tracks to his first visit of the Lorris housing project, where most of the infrastructures or facilities inside are on their worst condition. In another visit to a clinic, headed by Dr. Renee Dawson for six years already, Bruce Reid faces the same dilemma or condition. Funds were generally needed, especially for new equipments, facilities or technologies to increase competitive advantage.
However, to obtain enough funds, then sufficient investments should be made; something which seems difficult to attain. To compensate for lack of investments, several actions were taken by Bruce Reid including internal cost cuts and fund generation activities. The city was even convinced to contribute $100,000 to their program. While others, such as Bryant and Lee, offered advise to Bruce Reid to close down some clinics, because that would help in cutting down expenses.
However, Bruce Reid replied, “you don’t measure the community’s health on an income statement” (Rakich, 2004). Months after the program, the results of the programs or activities made by Bruce Reid, which were reported by Russell, only showed more negative results or questions raised. Russell explains that it is due to prenatal decline. “Without supplementary outreach, pregnant women are less inclined to visit the clinics” (Rakich, 2004).
Bruce Reid, on the other hand, concludes that his method of keeping more clinics to improve health care wasn’t enough to bring any difference or positive results. In the end, the status quo of the hospitals or clinics remained, and the dilemma still exists. Though one thing is certain, saving the hospital from financial difficulties is as complicated and as significant as saving lives.
References Rakich, Jonathan S. , B. B. Longest Jr. and K. Darr. (2004) Cases in Health Services Management. Health Professions Press, 31-37.