Healthcare Internal Assessment Paper

Internal Assessment of a Healthcare Organization A critical component of strategic planning is an environmental internal assessment. Internal assessments require that an organization be introspective, to see what they do well, and what they do not do well - their blind spots. The dynamic nature of contemporary healthcare requires organizations to perpetually appraise their strengths and weaknesses (to gain or keep their competitive edge). To aid in the process, Ginter, Duncan, and Swayne (2013) recommend using a comprehensive systematic approach that recognizes value, and delineates the components of value using the value chain. “Value is defined as the amount of satisfaction received relative to the price and the expected outcome or results”

146). McLean Hospital is a private, not for profit, psychiatric hospital. It’s most significant strength is its recognition as a market leader in adult psychiatry. Marketplace leadership resides in the service delivery area, pre-service, component of the value chain. It is an intangible resource. In a letter to the McLean Hospital Community, Rauch (2013) delivers the news that U.S. News & World Report, announced that McLean Hospital has achieved the number one ranking among all psychiatric hospitals and departments in the United States (US). The hospital has a long and consistent history of accomplishing a national ranking as one of the top10 best psychiatric hospitals and departments. In 2015, the hospital was designated as number four in adult psychiatry (U.S. News & World Report, 2016a). Having a strength of market leader is of high value in the healthcare industry. According to U.S. News & World Report (2016b), of the nearly 5000 hospitals, just 137 hospitals were nationally ranked, in a specialty area. Since, McLean Hospital is a specialty area the grade is based solely on reputation, as voted by top psychiatrists throughout the US. Based on these numbers, receiving a nation ranking is rare. Market leadership in psychiatry is difficult to imitate and takes a long time to build. McLean Hospital, which celebrated its bicentennial, has

A weakness is determined to be of competitively relevant when the market value is high, not common among competitors, difficult to correct, and competitors have an ability to sustain their advantage (Ginter et al., 2013, pp. 150-152). McLean Hospital moved to its current location in October 1895, making some of the physical structures over 120 years old. It is the outdated buildings that are the hospital’s most significant internal weakness. The condition of the facilities resides in the service delivery area, pre-service, component of the value chain. It is a tangible resource. The contemporary healthcare environment wants comfortable, modern, state-of-the-art facilities, making the outdate facility a weakness of high value in the market. Out dated buildings are not common when compared to two top competitors, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner. Refurbishing or remodeling five historical building that house five inpatient units, and seven residential or outpatient programs is a difficult undertaking. Competitors have been able to maintain their advantage, by building ultra modern facilities and revitalizing historic buildings. Strategic plans include changes that must align with those determined to be of high value