Case Study Analysis—Case 2: Critical Access To complete this assignment review the following Web resource: Rural Health Solutions. (2010, October). A critical access hospital case study: Idaho Flex...

Caribou Memorial Hospital and Living Cente
Student Name
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I: Preliminary report
Overview
Caribou Memorial Hospital and Living Center (Caribou) has existed for 60 years and
ecently converted into a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), which has
ought increased
funding and equipment, allowing them to serve a greater portion of their community. This is
a common move in many rural hospitals (Dalton et al, 2003). They operate with heavy
interconnection between themselves and a with a local hospital co-operative.
Key issues: Internal
 New facilities and CAH status
ing benefits, but take time to integrate into routine and
activity. This is expected to be an ongoing problem, since there are changes such as the
shift to electronic health records (EHRs) are fast becoming a national standard. Any such
change, regardless of long-term efficiency and productivity savings, will have short-term
costs in the same areas, as seen in Reif & Ricketts (1999) review of the first year of the
CAH programme.
 The internal infrastructure is well-kept being upgraded, but requires significantly more
provision to fulfil its expanded responsibilities. This creates a tension between the desire
for new facilities and services while old ones need to be replaced.
 Cu
ent staff and facilities are overworked. Much of the new capacity will go to properly
fulfilling existing duties rather than expanding into the
oader environment.
Key issues: External
 The Hospital Co-operative (THC) presents a significant route to further expansion into
the
oader market and better service provision, but ca
ies additional administrative
costs, such as staff absences for THC duties. The move to EHRs would reduce the costs
and maximise the benefits of the cross-provider activity by allowing better integration.
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 The CAHs are only part of a significant revision that is happening across all sectors of
healthcare in the country, from the local and corporate to governmental levels. Caribou is
well set up to adapt to these changes, but their consequences upon the market are
unpredictable. This trend has existed for some time, as noted in Ricketts (2000), and is
likely to continue.
 They have improved their provision of healthcare across a sparsely-populated region
effectively. This is being well managed, and does not require action.
Situational analysis
Overview
Strengths
•New income
•Well maintained
•Dedicated, well-
trained staff
• Increases resource
ase
•EHCs will improve
function
•Well set up to meet
coming changes.
Key Issue
•CAH Status
• Infrastructure
• Skills
• Local Hospital Co-
operative
•Also:
•Technology
• Future macro &
micro market
changes
•quickly changing
field of operation
Weaknesses
•New responsibilites
•Ageing
•New procedures
take time to learn
•Complicates
timetabling and
procedure
•Procedure likely to
e complex to
integrate
•Effects of many new
changes are
unpredictable
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Internal environment analysis
The internal environment is structurally strong but overstressed. Even though there
has been an injection of new funds, which have alleviated some of the basic resourcing
problems, these have come with new operational structures and responsibilities. As with any
major change, this transition period is taking time, and leads to a period of local inefficiency.
Their basic resource network, particularly when one takes into...