Importance of Mission and Vision Statements in Strategic Planning

Importance of Mission and Vision Statements in Strategic Planning

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Importance of Mission and Vision Statements in Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is one of the key functions of an organizations management to help prioritize, allocate resources, and ensure that all individuals are working towards the same objectives and goals. For this to be effective though, there must be clear and concise mission and vision statements. This paper will discuss the most appropriate mission and vision statement for the Stevens District Hospital, the rationale as to why it was chosen, specific strengths and weaknesses of the selected mission and vision statements, and how the mission and vision statement will drive the strategic plan for the Stevens District Hospital.

Mission and Vision Statements

Mission and vision statements are often used interchangeably but serve separate purposes. For example, a mission statement is what an organization defines as its purpose currently whereas a vision statement is what they wish to see happen in the future. According to Bean-Mellinger, a mission statement is meant ” to inspire hope, and contribute to health and well-being by providing the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research” (2019). The vision statement should be clear and concise and explain what the consumer should expect going forward (these statements are based on the Mayo Clinic). Many healthcare organizations have the same or very similar mission and vision statements, and that is to provide the best healthcare to their patients and community and be the best facility.

The mission and vision statements for the Stevens District Hospital are:

Our mission: To improve health by providing high-quality care, a comprehensive range of services, and exceptional service. Our vision: Stevens District Hospital and its affiliates will be the health care provider of choice for physicians and patients. Our five-year vision is to create a large, multispecialty physician practice system that would include at least six family practice physicians and specialists in cardiology, oncology, and women’s services. Currently, the hospital employs three family practice physicians, one obstetrician, one medical oncologist, and one non-invasive cardiologist.

The selected mission and vision statement that best fits the Stevens District Hospital are:

Mission: To improve health by providing high-quality care. Vision: Provide the broadest range of services in the county. These specific statements were selected because they fit the mold of the hospitals original mission and vision statements. For example, in the Stevens District Hospitals mission statement, it states that their mission is to “improve health by providing high-quality care”. This tells consumers that this facility is determined to provide the highest quality of health care right from the start. The vision statement covers a larger spectrum of services from the number of providers they offer to consumers to a five-year plan of what they wish to achieve which is why the selected vision statement was chosen. It clearly states that they plan to offer a broader range of services.

Strengths and Weaknesses

A respectable mission statement is meant to inspire and guide the individuals working for the organization. It should set a standard of what the facility expects of them and what they expect to deliver to their consumers. The mission statement for the Stevens District Hospital “To improve health by providing high-quality care, a comprehensive range of services, and exceptional service” provides a strong idea of what is to be expected by employees and consumers alike. The weakness in this mission statement is that is very ordinary. It is similar to many other facilities and should provide a more detailed or specific mission statement to really make them stand out. The vision statement should be ised to describe the future state of the facility and what they hope for in the future. While the vision statement here is solid, it is also very lengthy and covers more than it should. It should only cover what they wish to achieve for the future to keep consumers wanting to visit the Stevens District Hospital for years to come.

Strategic Plan for the Stevens District Hospital

Strategic health planning is simple; it starts by measuring an organization end goals against the current standing. It involves creating objectives and setting goals for an organization and where they would like to see themselves in the future and constructing a plan to achieve these objectives. In the health care industry, it is important take in account the potential government policy changes, technological advancements, and economic trends that could change the organizations operations in a substantial way. A healthcare organizations strategic plan should not only show short term goals but also plan for their future goals.

Conclusion

A strategic plan should focus on the organization’s strategy, mission, vision, goals and future endeavors. In order to get employees to participate and on board with the new plans, it is important to effectively communicate a simple, straightforward explanation of the plan. This paper has discussed the most appropriate mission and vision statement for the Stevens District Hospital, the rationale as to why it was chosen, specific strengths and weaknesses of the selected mission and vision statements, and how the mission and vision statement will drive the strategic plan for the Stevens District Hospital.

References

Bean-Mellinger, Barbara. (February 4, 2019). Retrieved September 28, 2019 from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-vision-statements-health-care-industry-17637.html 

Vanderelst, Norja. (2017, January 17). The Importance of Vision and Mission Statements. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-vision-mission-statements-norja-vanderelst.

Varkey, P., & Bennet, K., (2010). Practical techniques for strategic planning in health care organizations. Physician Executive, 36(2), 46-48.

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