Critical Thinking Case Study Analysis: Let It Pour

Critical Thinking Case Study Analysis:

Let it Pour - My First Assignment as Executive Assistant

Perspective is everything. As we evaluate this case study, the importance of perspective will be revealed as well as its impact on decision making. From the way we as individuals expect to be treated to the way we treat others, point of view influences our every day lives. Our point of view is not something that just happens to be. Perspective is developed and nurtured over the entire course of our life. As children we are taught certain values that affect our personal ethics and pave the way for how we view the world. Our cultural background also has a huge influence on our perspective and gives us a sense of socio-egocentricism that we carry with us for life. In this case study we will explore the problem that sits at the core of a failing hospital administration. After giving a brief introduction of the case we will need to systematically evaluate the symptoms surrounding the problem in order to unveil its true nature. This evaluation will enable us to clearly and specifically define the problem. We will then be able to weigh out possible solutions to the problem based on the success of the outcomes. By carefully considering

the pros and cons of each solution we will narrow our possibilities down to a final solution.

Case Background

Upon first glance at this case one might think that it is a public service paper advocating positive thinking but we quickly realize that it is not. We find a woman reporting for her first day at a new position as executive assistant to the chief executive officer (CEO) of Faith Community Hospital. She shows up to work and is immeadiately wisked into a meeting with her new boss where he begins to explain the current status of the hospital. He begins by letting her know that all of the stake holders, patients, staff members and doctors have different ethical values and deal with hospital matters from different perspectives. The hospital has a religious background which attracts many religious people who come from a spectrum of religious cultures. This has many effects on the hospital. Even though these people have a commonality in religion they all have different beliefs and points of view. The CEO goes on to explain how this difference causes chaos when it comes to quality patient care. Based on different interpretation of the Hypecratical Oath, patients are receiving different levels of care. Staff memebers want to help the hospital survive and be successful but go about helping in entirely different ways. Some give free care and services to patients hoping they will return while others refuse service to patients who can not pay or are not insured. The patients are just as split as the staff members, expecting to be given what they want without the responsibility of caring for themselves or dictating care instead of letting staff decide what is best for them.

All of these factors contribute to the hospitals inability to attract patients in order to cover costs of operation. Because of partial payments from HMO's, insurance costs and fixed costs that do not fluctuate the hospital has had to increase daily patient care costs by $23.00 per day. The CEO is caught between a rock and a hard place when he has to consider if he can not find a way to raise patient populations he will have to make cuts to fixed costs just to break even. Despirate for a solution he appeals to his newly appointed assistant for a fresh perspective and innovative alternative solutions. She must first get to the core of the problem in order to offer solutions.

Real Problem

Conclusion may be made insinuating that the real problem is that the hospital is not making enough money but that is only a symptom of a much larger scale problem. The hospital can not make money because of its inability to increase it's patient numbers. Faith Community has failed to attract patients because of its lack of ethical integrity within its own operation; Integrity as in wholeness of the organization not honesty. The CEO said himself that, "We may have a written unifying mission statement, but everyone thinks about it differently."