ANALYSIS OF SMALL RURAL HOSPITAL

The mission also includes a commitment to improving the health status of the poor and disenfranchised which is fitting for the rural setting which has a high poverty rate. The organization also has an impressive vision which is meant to drive its employees to provide excellent health services and promotes the establishment of healthy partnerships between stakeholders in the healthcare industry. The organization also espouses values that are consistent with the provision of quality health services. These values include stewardship, collaboration, dignity, justice, excellence, and justice (Dignity Health,2014). Moreover, the hospital serves about 75,00 residents. It is important for the hospital to invest in increased recruitment. Also, the hospital needs to have a mixed staff population considering that its serves a multicultural society.

Currently, the hospital’s staff is predominantly white (97%) and thus creates a langauge barrier for the hundreds of Latinos and other racial groups who visit the hospital and cannot communicate in fluent English. Also, to address other multiracial challenges such as mistrust and suspicion, the hospital needs to have a wider racial diversity in its staffing. PESTL analysis of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Political factors: Some of the factors impacting the healthcare industry in which the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital lies include consumer protection, changes in tax legislation and insurance mandates. It is important for the hospital to spread its health services beyond the scope of this population to ensure that it avoids financial problems. Also, partnering with other hospitals would be a viable option in this context.

Economic Factors: A large percentage of the popualtion served by the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital is unemployed or uninsured thus compomising tehir ability to apy for health services (Paliadelis et al, 2012). Also, due to the fact that the hsopital is a low-volume healthcare providers, small rural hospitals are shunned by vendors. Moreover, small rural hospitals do not enjoy economies of scale and have a reduced capacity to absorb increases in costs that vendors may present to them because of their low volumes (Paliadelis et al, 2012). Unique challenges facing the rural community served by the hospital also includes a deficiency regarding reliable transport infrastructure in the access to care (Dignity Health,2014). Rural residents may, for instance, fail to get to medical appointments and thus affect not only their treatment but the scheduling of the hospital.

The hospital, therefore, needs to carry out health education campaigns to increase health literacy in the rural community it serves to get rid of challenges including social stigma associated with accessing mental health services. For example,despite the use of EMR by the hospital,many residents bear the fear that people will find out about their condition (Dignity Health,2014). Also, the hospital should advocate for better infrastructure through local leaders to make itself as accessible as possible to residents. Therefore, strategies including partnering with a larger organization and collaborating with local physician groups and outpatient clinics need to be considered to make it a more effective health provider. Also, cost-effectiveness and continuous adjustment to changing forces in the healthcare market are necessary for Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital to remain viable.