• Reflection Journal

This week, we focus on your reflections on your first draft, with the aim of revising it for the W6 Second Draft Assignment in mind. In this reflection journal you should remark, in at least 150 words, on what you have learned thus far in the research and writing process. Consider the following questions to guide your reflection:

• What, if anything, did you find surprising, particularly challenging, interesting, or useful?
• What did you set out to do with your first draft of your essay? Did you accomplish it? Why/how so/not?
• What did you learn from your peer(s) in this week’s discussion forum?
• What questions do you still need answered?

200 WORDS OR MORE

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In earlier weeks, you were introduced to the concept of the “captain of the ship.” In this Assignment, you become the “captain of the ship” as you provide treatment recommendations and identify medical management, community support resources, and follow-up plans for a client with an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

 

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Recommend psychopharmacologic treatments based on therapeutic endpoints  

  for clients with obsessive-compulsive disorders

· Recommend psychotherapy based on therapeutic endpoints for clients with 

  obsessive-compulsive disorders

· Identify medical management needs for clients with obsessive-compulsive 

  disorders

· Identify community support resources for clients with obsessive-compulsive 

  disorders

· Recommend follow-up plans for clients with depression disorders

 

To prepare for this Assignment:

· Select an adult or older adult client with an obsessive-compulsive disorder you 

   have seen in your practicum.

  In 3–4 pages, write a treatment plan for your client in which you do the following:

· Describe the HPI and clinical impression for the client.

· Recommend psychopharmacologic treatments and describe specific and 

  therapeutic endpoints for your psychopharmacologic agent. (This should relate 

  to HPI and clinical impression.)

· Recommend psychotherapy choices (individual, family, and group) and specific 

  therapeutic endpoints for your choices.

· Identify medical management needs, including primary care needs, specific to  

  this client.

· Identify community support resources (housing, socioeconomic needs, etc.) and 

  community agencies that are available to assist the client.

· Recommend a plan for follow-up intensity and frequency and collaboration with  

  other providers.

· Remember to include Introduction and Conclusion

 

  Learning Resources

 

  Required Readings

  Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2014). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of 

 psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry (11th ed.). Philadelphia, PA:  

 Wolters Kluwer. Chapter 10, “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related      Disorders” (pp. 418–436)

 

Gabbard, G. O. (2014). Gabbard’s treatment of psychiatric disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publications.

Chapter 21, “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder"

  

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. “Obsessive-Compulsive and      Related Disorders”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Required Media

Bruce, T. & Jongsma, A. (Producers). (n.d.) Evidence-based treatment planning for obsessive compulsive disorder [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net.

 

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 Focus Questions for Confucius Lives Next Door The book, Confucius Lives Next Door, chronicles the experiences of a modern western family living in Japan, and offers trenchant insight to the culture of the Far East and Confucianism. As you read, journal, and write your book review, consider the following questions: How do you see the Confucian ethos and the Confucian virtues exemplified in Reid’s experiences in Japan? Do you agree with Reid’s assessment of how and why the post-World War II “Asian Miracle happened” (e.g., Reid 14, 227–28)? Why or why not? Do you think the “over politeness” of the social interactions, including formal ones (such as the way rules and laws are posted publically) is good or bad (e.g., Reid 81, 171)? Why? What do you think of the Japanese people’s overall view of Americans? Do you agree with it? Why or why not? (e.g., Reid 108) Why do you think the crime rates are so low in Japan (e.g., Reid 20–23, 188–89)? Is this something that could be replicated elsewhere? Why or why not? What lessons we can take from the Confucian and Japanese experience that might contribute to a better social experience in our culture and to the improvement of ourselves as individuals? Reid paints a very optimistic and positive picture of Japanese culture and Confucianism. Do you think he is passing over some downsides? What might these possibly be? Also reflection anecdotes and aspects of the book and Reid’s experience that particularly struck you in some way—positively and/or negatively—and critically engage and assess why this was the case. There is freedom for you to pursue points of particular interest to you and/or relevant to your major… 

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 Long-term care decisions are often complex and highly emotional. They can present a radical departure from how life was intended. In this assignment, you will address a hypothetical, but very real, scenario that involves Mary and Don, an elderly married couple (provided in Course Content). Circumstances to be considered include extent of disability, living situation, financial state, service preferences, and specific questions presented to you in terms of their concerns and issues. 

This assignment may require you to make some assumptions about their situation in order to completely respond to the scenario. 

Apply long-term care concepts, programs, and services to a real life situation for millions of Americans – providing practical and evidence based advice to individuals regarding their options for addressing their long term care needs. 

Mary and Don Scenario: 
Don and Mary were happily married for 50 years and had two successful 
children and five grandchildren. Don and Mary met while serving in the US 
Army during the Korean Conflict. After their military service ended, they 
married and embarked on their careers. Don and Mary were healthcare 
professionals; Don was a professor at the local medical school, and Mary was a 
hospice nurse. Don and Mary were always active in their church and 
volunteered their time in the community. Both retired at age 65 to [pursue 
their dreams of international travel and spending their children's inheritance. 
During the early years of their retired life, the couple continued to work 
part time, travel extensively, and spend time with their grandkids. Their 
retirement plans seemed to be going swimmingly until Don noticed that his 
wife was having memory problems at the age of 78. Mary always kept up on 
the latest topics and was always first to complete the crossword puzzles and 
other logic games in the newspaper. However, Mary seemed to become 
increasingly forgetful; she would run errands to purchase specific items and 
return home empty-handed. The couple decided to seek help from a 
gerontologist. 
An extensive battery of cognitive and neuropsychological tests determined 
that Mary's language skills and mental abilities had markedly diminished. 
Mary was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, an incurable terminal brain 
disease. After the initial shock of the diagnosis, the couple developed a plan to 
cope with the disease – Don was going to be Mary's caregiver. The p 
progression of the disease was tough for Don and the family o watch. At first 
Mary became confused, then she became progressively irritable and aggressive. 
Five years after the diagnosis, Mary became almost totally withdrawn. Her 
appetite was nonexistent, and she became incontinent. Additionally, Mary 
suffered from "sundowners syndrome" – a phenomenon whereby the individual 
experiences confusion and exasperation during the late afternoon or early 
evening hours. 
Don struggled to care for her and keep an upbeat attitude; however, he 
was experiencing the deterioration of aging. After years of being a 
competitive runner, his knees and other joints prevented him from fully 
assisting Mary. Don </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> 
. As Mary's condition grew more serious, 
I had to make a decision. He was no longer able to care for her, and his own 
ailments were starting to severely impact his ability to take care of himself. 
Additionally, their retirement savings had dwindled to the point that they 
needed financial assistance from family members to get by. The case of Mary 
and Don is not uncommon, the many seniors experience the inevitable choice of 
long-term care. 
Case Study Questions 
1. What long-term care options should I consider for Mary and himself? 
2. What are the requirements for the care you have chosen 
in Question 1? 
3. What funding mechanisms are available to Don and Mary, and how does 
this affect the choice of their care options? 
4. What could Don and Mary have done to plan their care during their later 
years?

5. What is your plan to prepare for the need for your 
long-term care?
5 Pages
Deadline: 1 days
Format: APA 

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 Leaders must be able to create a culture that encourages adherence to standards for patient safety. Identify a situation in which you would revise or change practice to enhance safety. How would you introduce this change to your staff using the Diffusion Theory? What strategies would you use for early adopters of this change? 

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Managing Organizational Growth during a Time of Downsizing

 

Over the past several years, a major source of revenue for a teaching hospital in the

northeast has been dissolved. The hospital received two million dollars from the state’s free care

pool to care for residents of the state who do not have health insurance. This situation changed

for the hospital on April 12, 2006 when legislation was passed that all residents of the state were

required to have health insurance. The state has stopped funding the free care pool in order to

reroute funds to the state’s insurance program for low income families. This paradigm shift

allowed low income residents to increase their medical options and choose where they receive

medical care.

The hospital has been suffering since this legislation went into place and needs to refocus

its strategies to remain competitive. Due to this legislation, the hospital is facing a $500 million

deficit. The current President brought in an outside strategic planning consulting firm about a

year ago to make recommendations for the entire hospital. During the past year, the consultants

have recommended reorganizing departments throughout the hospital, reducing staff and hours in

central administration, stopping annual pay increases, implementing a hiring freeze for all

employees, closing one of the emergency rooms (ER), and shutting down some of the hospital’s

public programs. The changes being implemented throughout the hospital by the consulting firm

have challenged the core internal values of the hospital – managers are focusing on productivity

and spending with minimal concern for patient satisfaction. The following are the seven core

values, which drive the hospital’s mission and vision:

 

 

 

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Values

 

Respect We will serve our patients and their families, physicians, staff and

communities with dignity.

Commitment We will integrate our public health, preventive, emergency and

rehabilitative programs with a full range of primary to tertiary medical

service.

Diversity We will serve the ever-changing needs of our urban and suburban

populations, while honoring their ethnic, religious and cultural

differences.

Competence We will apply a high degree of medical, nursing and technical

management in a professional and accountable manner.

Education We will collaborate with schools and other institutions to support a

premier learning environment for all members of our community.

Research We will conduct research that will lead to major improvements in

health care and health status for all people, and further scientific

advances in medicine.

Cost

Effectiveness

We will develop and participate in community-based and managed-

care programs that promote affordable, responsible and high-quality

health care.

CEO Leadership Style

Cheryl Sullivan’s leadership platform for the past 13 years has been to transform the

habits and aspirations of the institution by obtaining new talent. By bringing in new talent, the

culture of the organization began to shift because there were fresh thoughts and ideas being

generated. Also, Mrs. Sullivan formed leadership teams and encouraged people to bring her new

ideas for the hospital. She would review these suggestions and determine which ones the hospital

would implement. Her goal by forming these leadership teams was to connect people together to

 

 

 

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help disseminate the tacit knowledge they held in hopes of discovering fresh ideas to rejuvenate

the hospital.

Management Meeting

Cheryl Sullivan, President and CEO, called an early morning meeting for all department

heads to announce additional recommendations from the consultants which will be implemented

hospital wide and lay out expectations from her and the Board of Directors. She discussed the

financial crisis the hospital has been facing for the past year and that she wanted everyone to

help get the hospital’s financial situation turned around. The following excerpt came from her

opening statements:

The hospital is considering further consolidation of services, aligning

service supply and demand, and strengthening our team-based care model.

The intent of the proposal is to allow the hospital to better respond to

fluctuation in patient volumes and eliminate redundant services. The

proposal reflects our overall goals to staff to demand, improve operational

efficiency, and enhance our high standards of care and patient safety.

As you know, the hospital is working on many fronts to address a

challenging financial situation. We are working hard to control supply,

drug and other expenses; to improve a range of processes; and to be paid

fairly for the care we provide. Within this context, however, it is important

that our services be right-sized to reflect patient demand; that we are

delivering efficient care that patients need—no more and no less; that we

do everything we can to cost less while generating more revenue; and that

 

 

 

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we optimize our team-based care models to improve quality and patient

safety.

That is the goal of the proposal we are currently considering.

Unfortunately, if we move forward, it would mean a reduction in workforce

across disciplines. The specific number of positions that would be affected

will not be known for several weeks until contractual processes are

completed. Adjusting our models of care delivery is an important element in

ensuring we have the flexibility to operate as efficiently and effectively as

possible and to preserve the hospital’s mission and future at a time of

financial deficits caused by reduced reimbursement rates.

At the end of the meeting, Sullivan announced that every department needed to reduce their

upcoming fiscal year budget by a minimum of ten percent and increase their patient base by 20

percent over the next six months. Sullivan had given each department one month to develop a

strategic plan for implementing these changes. If any department was not able to do so, the

consultants would implement a mandatory strategic plan for that department.

Department of Psychiatry

Over the years, the Department of Psychiatry had provided an array of services, which

included:

 Crisis intervention

 Psychiatric evaluation

 Extended evaluations

 Psychopharmacological treatment

 Individual and group therapy

 Neuropsychological assessments

 Psychological testing

 

 

 

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 Psychiatric triage

The department had four major divisions:

 Center for Refugee Health and Human Services

 Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology

 Recover Leaning Center

 Jail Diversion Program

The employees of the Department of Psychiatry had the following mission statement:

 Patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health

problems and promotion of health.

 Provide trainees and faculty with the latest medical knowledge about established and

evolving biomedical, clinical, cognate sciences and the application of this knowledge to

clinical care.

 Emphasize practice-based learning and improvement that involves investigation and

evaluation of the faculty’s and trainees’ own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of

scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care.

 Develop interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information

exchange and teaming with patient, their families, and other health professional.

 Emphasize professionalism, as manifested through a commitment to carrying out

professional responsibilities, adherence to principles, and sensitivity to a diverse

population.

 Develop skills in systems-based practice, as manifested by actions that demonstrate an

awareness and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the

ability to effectively call on system resource to provide care that is of optimal value.

 

 

 

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There are four major goals with guide the Department of Psychiatry.

 Train medical students in the clinical concepts necessary to facilitate effective doctor-

patient interactions, as well as implement the finest educational programs for mental

health trainees of all disciplines. To teach them to recognize, diagnose, and treat patients

suffering with mental illness across a variety of health care settings.

 Perform basic and clinical research relevant to the understanding and development of

new treatments for patients with mental illness. Our goal is to advance and deepen our

understanding of the causes of psychiatric illnesses to facilitate the development of more

effective diagnostic, treatment, and prevention strategies for a wide array of psychiatric

disorders.

 Train a new generation of psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health providers

by providing them with didactic and clinical experiences developed by expert faculty.

 Provide exceptional clinical care without exception to patients of all ages and

backgrounds using therapeutic modalities most appropriate to the patients’ needs and

provided by specialists in the field and by trainees under the supervision of outstanding

practitioners and teachers.

The Department of Psychiatry had been hardest hit by these financial changes over the

years. The department received additional external funding directly from the state which was

reduced. As a result, the department had to shut down in-patient units, such as, the IRTP which

provided psychiatric care to teenagers. They had to reduce the amount of emergency psychiatric

care they provided because their emergency services budget was reduced by 25%. Lastly, the

 

 

 

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department’s out-patient base decreased by over 30% because a majority of their patients

received free care and these patients now received treatment closer to their homes.

The change the department had already undergone does not reflect the changes being

asked of them by the hospital’s senior management. Their budget is going to be reduced by

another 10%, and they have to increase their patient base by 20%. The culture within the

department had transformed and employees are concerned about making the wrong decisions.

There are many conflicts and challenges surfacing between all levels of management and

employees. Employees are fearful of loosing their jobs. The department is suffering from high

turnover and loss of morale.

 

Psychiatry Plan

Leon, the administrative director for the department of psychiatry, returned from the

meeting and felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He was overwhelmed by the

morning’s announcement and not sure how to proceed. His first call was to the Chairman of the

department. The Chairman was not overly concerned by what Leon told him, and left the

decision up to Leon. Leon then spoke with two of his colleagues. The first person he spoke with

was Rita, the Chairperson for Clinical Services. This is what she had to say:

“I am concerned that the clinical staff is already working to capacity and will not

be able to absorb any more patients. If this change is forced upon the staff, I am

worried there will be an increase in absenteeism and turnover.”

Later in the day, Leon spoke with Garo, the Director for Quality Assurance. This is what he had

to say:

 

 

 

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“Wow, Leon; you are in a position. I am not sure what I would do if I were in

your shoes. How will this impact me? You know I will retire next year. I want to

make sure I am still on track.”

Leon quickly realized he will need to make the tough decisions by himself. He had to come up

with a strategic plan to present to senior management by the end of the month. As he thought

about the additional changes the department would face, he reflected upon some of the many

issues the department had already struggled through over the past year.

Center for Refugee Health and Human Services

 

The Center for Refugee Health and Human Service (CRHHR) had always been a division

within the Department of Psychiatry. The mission of the center was to provide comprehensive

and holistic health care for refugees and survivors of torture and related trauma, coordinated with

legal aid and social services. The center provided services to approximately 100 refugees per

year. The center also existed to educate and train agencies and professionals, who served this

patient population, to advocate for the promotion of health and human rights in the United States

and worldwide. They also existed to conduct clinical, epidemiological, and legal research for the

better understanding and promotion of health and quality of life for survivors of torture and

related trauma.

Tanya , the Director of CRHHR, has three full time employees that work for her.

CRHHR relies 100% on grant funds, and she has lost over 40% of the funding in the past few

years. As a result, Tanya had to lay off one of her social workers, Dana. The Department of

Psychiatry supplied CRHHR with bridge funding for that year. During that year, Tanya had to

find additional funding otherwise CRHHR would be shut down. The emotional stress took its toll

 

 

 

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on Tanya, and she went out on medical leave for three months. Tanya did return to work, but her

project manager Erica gave her two weeks notice when Tanya returned. Erica said:

“Tanya, I am sorry to do this to you on such short notice. However, the

environment is too unstable. I have found a position which will provide me with

more job security. The culture here has changed so much over the last few years.

We used to all work together and had fun, but there is so much competition and

back stabbing now. Since Dana left, the workload has become unbearable. I

understood that we need to do more with less now, but I cannot maintain the long

nights and work on the weekends. It is taking time away from my family and they

need my full attention when I am home.”

 

 

Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology

 

The Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology (CMTP) began in 1972 and has

more than 250 alumni in its network. Six to twelve interns are selected each year from an

applicant pool that is national and international. The pre-doctoral psychology training program of

CMTP has been fully accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1986. The

services of CMTP have historically been provided primarily to a racially and ethnically diverse,

urban, poor population. This target population is at increased risk for mental health problems,

substance abuse disorders and poorer health outcomes. Currently, CMTP provides services (i.e.

assessment/diagnosis, counseling, referral, training, and consultation) to more than 15

community-based organizations throughout the city ranging from community health centers

 

 

 

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(providing health, substance abuse and mental health services), to houses of worship, and

recreation centers. Multicultural, multiethnic and multilingual doctoral-level, licensed

psychologists, psychology interns and psychiatrists comprise the staff of CMTP.

Over the past six years, CMTP has faced significant funding cuts from the state for their

program. These cuts have resulted in a reduction of the number of interns they can except into

their program each year. In the past, they accepted 6-12 interns and now they are only accepting

4-6 interns. These cuts have also resulted in a reduction of staff. CMTP has two office managers,

and now they only have one office manager. The office manager has changed every year for the

past three years. The turnover from this position has changed the dynamics in the CMTP. The

previous office managers had been in the position for over ten years, which built a level of trust

and communication. Due to the personnel changes, there has been a breakdown in

communication and trust.

The Director of the CMTP, Steve, feels he needs to take-on more responsibility and

cannot rely as much on his office manager, Kim. This is what Steve said about the dynamics in

his area:

“In the past, I had a bond with my office managers and trusted them beyond the

scope of their job. Everyone behaved as a family and was more than colleagues. I

do not have the same level of confidence with the current personnel because we

have not had the time together to form strong relationships. With the turnover

rate in this position being so high, it is hard to devote a lot of resources to them.”

This relationship change and funding reduction has taken its toll on Steve. To maintain his APA

accredited program, Steve needs to find additional funding. He has been working with other

 

 

 

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organizations to gain funding support for his interns. This tactic has been unreliable because the

support usually is only for a one-year term intern. In the past, his support has been for several

interns over several years. He has also noticed a decline in applicants. In the past, CMTP would

receive 200-300 applications and would interview 50-60 candidates. Now, he receives a little

over 100 applications and only interviews 23-30 applicants. Steve has never felt this level of

stress and pressure. He feels he has the potential of losing his entire program. This stress has

caused him to take several short term sick leaves. In the past, he only took 2-3 sick days on

average per year. Now he is taking 2-3 weeks of sick time per year. Also, he is not able to

recover as quickly from his illnesses due to stress.

CMTP depends on its consultants to help train the interns. However, due to the financial

changes the CMTP, consultants do not have any funding, but there services are still required. The

department has agreed to provide bridge funding for the consultants, but they need to bring in

revenue for the department. Leon met with the consultants to explain this situation for Steve, and

this is what Leon told the consultants

“As you all know, the department has been going through some financially tough

times, which has impacted your areas. There is currently no funding to pay your

consultation fees. The department has agreed to provide bridge funding, but we

need to have additional revenue to offset this expense. This means that you will

need to consider the types of patients you see with the interns. We need to make

sure that they all have insurance, and we are billing for the maximum amounts. I

know this places a greater burden on you because there is greater focus on

 

 

 

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revenue then teaching. However, please remember that this is necessary to keep

your programs going, and that is the main goal for the future.”

Some of the consultants have agreed to Leon’s request, but others have left the program after 20

years. This situation has hurt the interns because the CMTP has lost a valuable talent pool for

their learning. The consultants who have stayed have become competitive with one another

rather than working as a team. Some of the consultants even went as far as trying to access the

personnel files of other consultants to compare their payment amounts. Due to this problem, the

Director has had to change the locks in the offices and has lock-up the personnel files so only

two individuals have access. If anyone needs access to these rooms, they have to get it when

someone is in the office or they have to make an appointment. This change has created an

atmosphere of mistrust.

Union Implications

A number of employees at the hospital are protected by the union, which includes the

nurses and some administrative employees within the Department of Psychiatry. When Sara, a

nurse in the Department of Psychiatry, heard about the pay increase freeze, she took the

information to her union representative, Carl. Carl said he would file a formal complaint because

this violates their union contract. When this complaint was brought to Sullivan’s attention, she

immediately sent out an email and posted a message on the HR site that anyone who was a

member of this union would receive their pay increase.

This announcement caused tremendous conflict within the department. Christine who had

been with the department for more than 20 years did not think it was fair that she would not get a

 

 

 

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pay increase while her colleague, Kim, who only worked here for a year, would get an increase.

Christine approached her supervisor, Mary, and this is what she said:

“Mary, I do not think it is fair that Kim is getting her pay increase, and I won’t

get an increaset. I have been working here for over 20 years. Kim has only

worked here for a year.”

Mary responded to Christine by saying:

“Christine, I know this is difficult; however, Kim’s position is a union position.

The union has negotiated this contract with the hospital. I know it does not seem

fair, and I apologize, but this is out of my control.”

Christine went back to work but was angry with the outcome of the conversation.

Over the coming weeks, Christine kept track of her colleague’s actions and time. When

she felt she had enough information about her colleague, she went to HR. The level of

professional jealousy was beginning to impact productivity. She explained to HR that her

colleague had been taking unapproved breaks, leaving early, and coming to work late. The HR

representative told Christine she would look into it. The HR representative called Leon and

spoke with him about her conversation with Christine. He told her he would look into it. Leon

called Christine’s manager, Mary, and apprised her of the situation. After speaking with her, it

became clear that Christine was trying to create an issue were one did not exist because she was

angry. However, now that HR was involved, they would have to come up with a resolution. Leon

and HR determined the best course of action was to install a time clock so employees would

have to punch in and out. They implemented the time clock and employees in this area became

angry and blamed Christine. As a result, Kim requested a transfer and because she was part of

 

 

 

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the Union, she was able to bump someone out of a comparable position. This individual ended

up losing their job.

General Administration

Within each department in the hospital, there is a general administration area which

handles accounting, finance, billing, scheduling and so on. These departments then report to

central administration for the entire hospital.

Vacation time.

Due to the major changes within the department over the past year, the organizational

hierarchy has been shifted. Employees are reporting to managers, which they have never worked

for in the past. The research area has been rolled under the head of the finance area. The

individuals working in the research area have been there for ten to fifteen years and have strong

bonds with their previous manager. The new manager, Kevin, does not understand research and

began changing the policies for the area immediately so they are aligned with the rest of finance.

One of the new policies stated that an employee could not take time off without a thirty day prior

approval. Nick approached Kevin immediately when he read this new policy, and this is what he

said:

“Kevin, I just read the policy about vacation time. I am hoping this policy applies

for new unapproved vacations and not vacations that were already approved. As

you are aware, my wife and I had a baby recently and her maternity leave is

coming to an end. I had been planning to take Tuesday and Thursdays off for the

next month. I wanted to make sure this was still going to be ok.”

Kevin’s response was:

 

 

 

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“Everyone in this area has to follow the policies. I cannot make an exception for

one employee and not the rest. It would just not be fair. However, I do understand

that this vacation time had prior approval. You may take the time as planned but

on the days you are here, I would like you to stay late to ensure our productivity

does not decrease. As you know, we are under scrutiny by the hospital’s senior

management and everyone needs to pull their own weight.”

Nick was furious about Kevin’s response and went to speak with a colleague, Sarah, and this is

what he said to her:

“Can you believe our new manager? He has guts coming in here and just trying

to change everything around without getting to know us first or seeing how we do

our jobs. He actually told me I need to pull my own weight!!! I don’t get paid

enough for this crap. I saw a few positions open at other hospitals so I am going

to begin looking for a new job, and they pay more too.”

FMLA.

 

The Family Medical Leave Act stipulates that a hospital has to provide areas for women

to breast feed when they return back to work. Shelly will be going on maternity leave in a few

months and knows she has to come back to work right after it is over. She was planning on

staying home longer but she fears she will lose her job if she does not return right away. She

asked Kevin about a place for her to breast feed and he said he did not know of a location, but he

would tint her office window and she could stay right in her office. Shelly was furious and went

to HR to speak with her HR representative, Tina. Tina stated:

 

 

 

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“I am sorry to hear you are having trouble Shelly; however, the law only reads

that a space needs to be provided, which is not a bathroom. If Kevin feels your

office is private enough, then he has not broken the law. I do understand that this

proposition may be uncomfortable for you, but I would suggest you work this out

with Kevin.”

Shelly left the meeting with Tina feeling aggravated. She knew Tina would not speak with

Kevin. She had been looking at another job a few months ago but did not feel it was time to

make a career change with the baby coming. However, she felt differently now. She called the

other company and they were still looking and interested. Over the course of the coming weeks,

she made her plans to leave. She went into Kevin’s office to hand him her resignation letter.

When he asked why she was leaving, she stated:

“I do not believe you care about employees or their well-being. Your only focus is

on the bottom line and having us produce like machines. I do understand the

hospital is facing tough times but we are still human beings with basic needs, and

I believe everyone here has lost sight of that, including you.”

Productivity logs.

 

Kevin sent out an email to the administrative staff in psychiatry letting them know that

senior management was requesting that the department begin measuring productivity. This

request would be done by maintaining a daily log which needed to be emailed to him before they

go home at the end of the day. This request did not go over well with the staff. Danielle had been

with the billing area for the past six years. She did not understand why she needed to record her

daily progress. After, submitting this log for two weeks, Kevin sent her email, which stated:

 

 

 

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“I noticed on your productivity log that you are taking an hour for lunch every

day. The department policy only allows for a 30 minute lunch and a fifteen

minute break in the morning and in the afternoon. This cannot be combined.

Having you out of the office for one hour straight causes productivity to decrease.

Please stop this immediately.”

Danielle, had no idea how to respond to this email. She had never been told she was doing

anything wrong and all her reviews have been positive. Based on what some of her friends from

other departments have told her, it appeared it was only going to get worse before it got better.

Later that day, she gave Kevin her two weeks’ notice. When he asked her what she was going to

do, she stated:

“I am going to work for my parent’s business until I find something else. At least

there, I will be treated with respect.”

Later that day, Kevin sent Kim and email which stated:

“I know we have been allowing you to work from home so you could go back to

school. However, we have no guarantee that you are working the hours you are

reporting. You will either need to begin working your hour’s onsite or we will

have to let you go.”

Kim did not know what to do. She knew she could not be on-site but she also knew she

needed the health insurance. She was upset that they did not trust her. She had never

missed running a report and was always available when they called her. So many people

in her area were leaving, and she did not know how the dynamics would continue to

 

 

 

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change. She agreed to come on-site, but she knew she would have to begin looking for

something else. As soon as she finds something else, she will leave.

Strategic Proposal

Throughout the remainder of the month, Leon had to come up with a plan to present to

Sullivan, the consultants, and the Board of Directors. He knows that the underlying message will

have to focus on teamwork because everyone will have to do more with less, which will only

work if everyone is working together. The advantage to autonomy and self-managing teams is

the ability to change and as the hospital grows and the structure changes, employees will be able

to adapt more efficiently reducing the loss of time and resources (Langfred, 2007). Self-

managing teams also structure themselves so they can build trust and commitment among team

members. By building trust, lasting relationships are constructed, which results in greater

commitment to the hospital in the long term (Krishnan, 2001). Teams also create social

structures based on trust, which results in higher levels of productivity over the long-term.

Productivity is increased by sharing knowledge and promoting creativity, which will help the

hospital remain competitive in the future (Cunha & Louro, 2000). Table one is a detailed list of

recommendations Leon will present at the end of the month for the Department of Psychiatry.

See Appendix A for a detailed strategic plan, which was presented.

Table 1

 

Proposal Recommendations

 

 

Budget Reduction Recommendations (10% reduction)

 

 

 

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A. In the general administration areas, there will only be one administrative assistant. This

will result in the reduction of 2 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) and a cost savings of

$64,000.

B. The doctors in our department are part of the family practice plan so they are impacted

by the hospital wide pay increase freeze. In addition, all doctors in the family practice

plan will receive a 10% salary reduction. This cut will result in a $100,000 cost savings.

C. There will be four staff members which will decrease their hours from 40 per week to

24 per week. This will result in a $128,000 cost savings.

D. The Department of Psychiatry has three service programs with the state. Each program

is subsidized by the department (Program 1 – $60,000; Program 2 – $20,000; Program 3;

$80,000). The department will no longer subsidize these programs which will result in

$160,000 cost savings.

Patient Base (20% Increase)

A. The goal of increasing the patient’s base is to increase revenue for the department.

Currently, our denial rate (the amount of claims denied by the insurance company) is at

20%, which corresponds to about $100,000 in revenue per month. The department has

analyzed its denial reasons and the primary reason is late billing or late corrections to

claims. There is an outside firm who is currently doing the department’s billing. The

department will begin working with them to bring this part of the billing back in-house.

Current department staff will do the billing. The billing that is currently in-house only

has a 5% denial rate. This should improve our monthly revenue stream.

 

 

 

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B. The doctors who are part of the family practice plan will see three additional patients

per week. Each patient generates revenue of $150-300 per visit. Using an average of

$225 per patient, this change will bring in approximately $350,000 in increased

revenue.

C. The Chairman of the department has purchased a new piece of equipment for

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). He was able to secure grant funding for this

purchase. This grant will allow the department to provide cutting edge psychiatric

services to our patients. This piece of equipment will increase out patient base by

approximately 10% and the current reimbursement rate per patient is $375.

 

The success of implementing this proposal lies with senior management’s approval. The

current leaders will be the catalyst for change and employees will be looking to them for

guidance. Leon is now awaiting approval of his plan by the Department of Psychiatry along with

all the other department heads. He spoke with some of his counter parts in other departments and

they all had trouble making these tough decisions. The fate of the hospital now lies with senior

management and how their vision aligns with the strategic proposals presented to them. The

entire hospital is now in a holding pattern until they receive permission to implement their plans.

While they are waiting, managers are beginning to think about the implementation stage of their

plans and how they will communicate the additional changes to their employees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Case Study Questions

Question 1: What is the situation—what do you actually know about it from reading the case?

Question 2: What issues are at stake? What problem(s) need to be solved?

Question 3: How should Leon communicate this strategic plan to the employees within the

Department of Psychiatry?

Question 4: What level of involvement did HR have in this plan? What HR implications does

this plan have? How would better alignment with HR help to mitigate these issues?

Question 5: How is Leon going to reduce turnover in his department during this time of

change? Why is reducing turnover critical to the successfulness of the department? What HR

implications does this action have?

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Unit III Case Study

For this assignment, review the Nike case study, located at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5uYCWVfuPQ.

Once you have viewed the case scenario, respond to the following questions, with thorough explanations and well supported

rationale.

1. These workers state the “only thing they have is their work”. This statement suggests that without this work, they

would have a lower standard of living. Should we inflict western values on this society? Bring in the concepts of social

responsibility, integrity and other business ethics practices.

2. From Nike’s standpoint, is this a fair assessment of their ethical standards? Explain the some of the ethical issues

that Nike is facing in the case.

3. Explain what Nike has done to improve this situation since this 2011 video. Include the use of codes of ethics and

other ethical standards implemented within the organization.

4. Is your opinion of Nike any different now after viewing this video? Would this change your buying behavior with respect

to Nike products?

Your response should be a minimum of two double-spaced pages. References should include your required reading plus

one additional credible reference. All sources used must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have

accompanying in-text citations, and cited by APA guidelines.

 

DQ Question

 While Batman & Commissioner Gordon constantly involved themselves with local, state and federal regulations, let's take a moment to reflect upon the regulations in your locality.

Bring one of these business regulations forward and discuss whether this regulation is ethical. Include your rationale as well as a discussion around whether regulation is effective. 
 

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State 3 Problems That Can Be Solved By Design And Their Solutions?

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The last step of the strategic management phase is the most crucial step to the strategies implemented in the plan The evaluation of the strategies that have been implemented is vital because it is important to see how effective the tactics that have been taken are. This stage will allow you to identify and implement corrections.are. This stage will allow you to identify and implement corrections.

 A hospital setting is a very delicate place to implement a strategic plan because of the nature of the services rendered and the people involved in the plan. Therefore, within the five-year plan, I would encourage the plan to be reviewed every quarter of the year. This will ensure proper determination of the system and its pros and cons. The hospital setting is a 24-hour facility which will allow for sufficient data to be collected within the short period of time. Since a year has passed already, any data collected would be considered the baseline. Data for every three months would then be compared to the baseline to regulate how well the plan is working or if changes need to be made.

 The valuation and control process would be considered an appropriate approach for a healthcare organization that accentuate creativity. Especially in the healthcare organization it is always important to have control because of the nature of the field. Without control it can become chaotic and lives can be affected. Living in an innovative era, where technology is constantly changing creativity is a must. Control and creativity can work between each other as they will both balance each other for the success of the organization.

 A creative venture for an acute care hospital would include gathering partners around the community that would help and contributed their knowledge, their expertise and their wisdom to create equipment and procedures that will better assist the patients in a more efficient and effective manner. Ensuring the involvement of the different partners will be an innovative venture for the hospital because their will better, quicker machines and processes that will help increase customer care.because their will better, quicker machines and processes that will help increase customer care.

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Toys (Cyprus) Ltd.

Toys Ltd. was established in 1990 in a provincial town close to Larnaca in Cyprus with the stated objectives of producing high quality toys and educational equipment for principally, the Cyprus market and later the middle-east. Over the period of 20 years it has seen various ups and downs in fortune but has been facing increasing competition especially in the education segment of its business. Recently it has experienced a downturn in its profitability which its management ascribe to the

deteriorating economic markets in Europe and the ”knock on” effect in the Cyprus market. Various

strategies to overcome this deterioration in its sales and profits have been proposed and cuts in the

employee force and production techniques have been proposed. The management consider that

these strategies together with more stringent cost controls and cost cutting will produce the desired

results in the future.

One of the factors reported by the sales director, Kyriacos Dmitriou, is the increasing number of

returns being received by the goods returned department. This phenomenon he says, “….. is not

sustainable if the firm is to return to profitability. “

The production manager has suggested that if 100% of items produced are inspected at the end of the production line then the problem of returns of defectives will be solved. This operation could be achieved by moving 2 or 3 of the more experienced workers from the assembly line and onto final quality inspection. Again, this strategy would not involve changes in staff numbers. It has also been suggested by the production department that a higher degree of self assembly by the customers/consumers could be used as this would again reduce production costs and place the onus of the defectives issue on the consumers.

 

The Marketing Director, Stavrou Kiriacou, is concerned that so many items with working parts are being returned due to erratic or non-working parts. He is concerned that this will affect the reputation and image of the firm. His senior assistant has proposed that as a measure of good will the firm agrees to receive faulty goods back and replace them with new items. This, he says, will cure the image problems. He also suggests that the faulty units could be rebuilt and repaired then sold in the outlet shop. These could be sold at a compensating discount. He believes also that this would not detract from the sales of new items. Under this strategy no extra staff would be needed as regular staff could carry out the functions during lulls in their regular work.

 

It has been suggested by the accountants that the company should be looking for cheaper components even if they are considered lower quality as this would satisfy the company’s need for cost reduction in production. With the change in staff organisation, cheaper components, cheaper materials, rebuilding products and sales in outlets the returns problems and profit levels would be addressed. The accountants have asked for more accurate figures of returns, defectives, fault points and total production volume figures are provided to them. It could be they say, that the levels of returns are at acceptable levels. After all they claim, the percentage “defectives” may well be within the parameters laid down in industry standards and bench marks. Additionally, the accountants have queried if the firm can afford to choose strategies other than

those they have proposed:

a)buying cheaper components and materials b)working to industry norms on defectives and acceptance levels c)”toughing” it out as far as returns are concerned by denying liability and resisting compensation by replacement of defective products.

 

 

 

 

Operations Management – Assessment 2 – Toys (Cyprus) Ltd. – Case study

You have been requested to provide advice and justified recommendations, as a new graduate of

management studies, to the management of TOYS (Cyprus) Ltd. regarding their problems with their

products and processes. They are particularly interested in your observations regarding their

proposals to overcome their poor performance in the markets they are in.

They have asked that you provide them with justified reasons for recommendations.

You are to write your recommendations, findings and observations with fully justified arguments.

 

Guidelines for assignment

 This is an individual assignment

 Plagiarism and reproduction of someone else’s work as your own will be penalized

 Make use of references, where appropriate – Use Harvard referencing method.

 Structural elements should include an introduction, main body, and a conclusion

 Weight – 50%

 All of the following questions are to be attempted.

 Maximum word count: 2000 words

 Type of assignment: Essay

 Deadline : Week 6

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