Development of a new primary care model and financing approach in Egypt required the development of three new government departments within the Ministry of Health and Population: the National Information Center for Health and Population (NICHP), the Quality Directorate, and the Family Health Fund. These three new departments were critical to successful implementation of the reform approach: universal coverage for a basic package of health benefits. Delivery of the basic package uses family health care teams that are contracted by the Family Health Fund. Contracting eligibility is partially determined by successful accreditation of the primary care facility by the Quality Directorate. Information for monitoring and policymaking is collected and disseminated by the NICHP. Three different organizational development approaches were used to establish these organizations. The NICHP was organized around an existing technical mission, but with new technology and technical staff. There was no explicit change in the organizational design from existing Ministry departments. The Quality Directorate was constituted with a new organizational mission and existing Ministry staff. The Family Health Fund was explicitly designed as a change agent organization and prepared to develop its own mission and goals. The paper compares and contrasts these approaches in view of the implementation of Egypt’s health reform and pilot demonstration in Alexandria. The analysis supports the finding that the most effective organization was the Family Health Fund who was explicitly prepared to function as a change agent organization with a less well defined mission and goals but a clear understanding of reform objectives.
Learning Objectives: 1. List organization development strategies that create change agent organizations. 2. Provide recommendations for organizational development strategies in health reform contexts. 3. Compare/contrast three organizational development health reform strategies.
Keywords: Health Care Reform, Organizational Change
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.