Learning organization concepts are offered to facilitate transition of one of the nation’s largest homeless health care provider organizations to a managed care model. A teaching case study and accompanying teaching note has been developed based upon experiences of The Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Inc. during a period of change to capitated reimbursement, under the direction of a new chief executive officer. Internally, medical and administrative staffs are encouraged to adopt five learning disciplines: (1) Personal Mastery-Staff members expand their personal capacity to create the results most desired by them and the organization. (2) Mental Models-Staff members reflect upon, clarify and improve their internal pictures of the environment, and see how this shapes actions and decisions. (3) Shared Vision-Staff commitment for achieving a shared image of the future. (4) Team Learning-Staff groups achieve abilities greater than the sum of individual member’s talents. (5) Systems Thinking-Staff is able to describe, understand, and change the system. Externally, medical and administrative staffs are encouraged to develop network learning among the shelters, hospital emergency rooms, state, federal and voluntary organizations. Finally, a detailed stakeholder analysis of the potential positive and negative impacts of changing the financing mechanism to a capitation based managed care model can be used to anticipate difficult roadblocks.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to utilize a novel teaching case and teaching note, The Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Inc. (developed by the author), that seeks to: 1)Illustrate the creation of inter and intra organizational learning environments to achieve improved outcomes in homeless heath care organizations. 2)Demonstrate development of a stakeholder analysis as a guide to strategic choice. 3)Develop respect for the measurement and analysis of complex socio-economic, clinical, and government policy related variables. 4)Illustrate the difficulties and importance of maintaining an organization’s core values in times of rapid change. 5)Discuss the internal and external leadership requirements of a new non-profit organization’s chief executive officer.
Keywords: Homeless Health Care,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Inc.
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.