Health Organization Evaluation: UnitedHealth

Health Organization Evaluation: UnitedHealth

Grand Canyon University

Health Organization Evaluation: UnitedHealth

Introduction

UnitedHealth is a for-profit healthcare organization based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA. Founded in 1974, UnitedHealth organization has grown to be the best healthcare organization in not only America but also in the world. The organization offers a number of health-related services to millions of people across the world. The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed description of this organization, to assess its overall preparedness, its strategic plan to address issues about network growth, nurse staffing, resource management, and patient satisfaction, and potential issues within its culture. 

 Description of the healthcare organization

UnitedHealth was first founded by a group of healthcare professionals and physicians under the name Charter Med.  In 1998, this healthcare organization realigned its businesses to be made up of five independent businesses, Ovations, UnitedHealth care, Uniprise, Ingenix, and Specialized care services. Research shows that the UnitedHealth organization is the world’s largest healthcare organization by revenue and has over 250,000 employees across the world. Being the most prominent healthcare organization in the United States, UnitedHealth Group Inc. serves more than 85million people in the United States and spans across fifty states in the U.S. and offers various healthcare-related services to more than 120 countries around the globe (Dianis, Wolbach, & Spiegelman, 2016).  

 UnitedHealth Group has differentiated itself from its key competitors through innovation and the proper use of technology. UnitedHealth serves over 80 million people who are in need of living a healthy life, and the aim of this organization has always been to ensure patient-centered healthcare services and has improved its focus on patient-sponsored programs over the years. The UnitedHealth Group has two divisions and various departments. The two divisions are UnitedHealth care and Optum. The Optum branch is further divided into subgroups for OptumHealth, OptumRx, and Optumlnsight. (Engelgau, M. M., Sampson, U. K., Rabadan-Diehl, C., Smith, R., Miranda, J., Bloomfield, G. S, & Alam, D. S. 2016).

    It is the responsibility of the head of each branch to ensure that the organization operates and performs as per the expectations of the company stakeholders, and they are also responsible to ensure the care provided meets the needs of every customer. In 2019, UnitedHealth had a market capitalization of over $230 billion, and in the same year, it announced revenue of about $226 billion. UnitedHealth Group mainly generates its revenue through the fees it charges for a number of medical and consulting services, its premiums, as well as through the sales of its medical products and services. This healthcare system generates its revenue from the investments that it has made over the years and today, the UnitedHealth is considered one of the most innovative and creative healthcare organizations in the world. (Gruber, D., Berman, I., & Wilson, A. B. 2018).

 Overall preparedness of this organization

UnitedHealth Group is one of the most prepared healthcare organizations in the United States and the world at large. This organization is well prepared to handle various kinds of illnesses, including emergencies, and disaster relief. UnitedHealth has been advancing solutions to assist in developing a high-quality, more straightforward healthcare system. It is well prepared since it effectively uses technology in its daily practice. It also conducts research, assesses the healthcare market and policy environment, including some of the solutions that have been proven successful.

Moreover, this organization has continuously developed forward-thinking solutions for an advanced health care system that meets the changing healthcare needs of the people it serves. Unlike other healthcare organizations, UnitedHealth Group always has an emergency response plan enabling them to respond to emergencies like the outbreak of viruses and  ensures that its customers and the population it serves are covered regardless of the situation (Gruber, Berman, & Wilson, 2018).

 A strategic plan to address issues about network growth, nurse staffing, resource management, and patient satisfaction

UnitedHealth Group has a strategic plan to address the problems relating to network growth, nurse staffing, resource management, and patient satisfaction. With reference to network growth, the organization’s strategic plan involves overseeing all its operations. Since the demand for healthcare services has drastically increased, UnitedHealth has developed a number of branches and departments to help it meet the increasing needs of the population it serves. This plan entails developing a robust healthcare network across the world. And most importantly, it addresses issues pertaining to network growth through innovation and the effective use of technology, such as telehealth which is health care delivery designed to provide improve patient care and modify the health care system. (Gruber, Berman, & Wilson, 2018).

Nurse staffing

The organization recognizes that its success largely depends on its workforce, especially on nurses. To address issues about nurse staffing, the UnitedHealth organization’s strategic plan entails the adoption of a staffing plan that improves efficiency. This approach not only enables the organization to meet the needs of its nurses but also of its customers. It has introduced nurse shifts to reduce turnover rates within the organization. It also addresses the issues faced by nurses through effective communication. UnitedHealth organization has implemented effective communication channels within the organization to help it address challenges experienced by nurses.

Resource Management

UnitedHealth organization has formulated policies to ensure the effective management of its resources. UnitedHealth care has invested over $3 billion annually to improve technology, and innovation in helping customers to understand and help make appropriate decisions for their health benefits, which will improve health and wellbeing and reduce the cost of health care. This organization is also dedicated in meeting consumer needs and sustaining professional relationships with care providers, with more than 1.2 million physicians and 6,500 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealth manages resources by providing health benefits programs for individuals, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and employers.  (Shanley, 2018)

Patient Satisfaction

Challenges pertaining to patient satisfaction can be addressed through patient satisfaction benchmarks. These benchmarks can enable the organization to determine and ensure patient satisfaction by measuring success. The application of technology is yet another strategic plan to address the challenges associated with patient satisfaction. UnitedHealth is committed to assisting their patients and families live healthier lives by making the health care experience easy to manage by connecting patient with those that can manage their health care needs, this can improve communication and provide positive outcomes. (Shanley, 2018)

Identify any current or potential issues within the organizational culture and discuss how these issues may affect aspects of the strategic plan.

 Some of the issues within the culture of this organization are reputation risk and business mix risk. These issues may have a significant impact on the aspects of the strategic plan above. In terms of reputation risks, the need to consider factors such as access to competent and qualified doctors and nurses. Unless it does so, aspects of the strategic plan like patient satisfaction will be negatively affected. Besides, the business mix may affect aspects of the strategic plan in that it may result in increased medical costs, thus a reduction in patient satisfaction since it removes a healthier population from the insurance plans (Engelgau et al., 2016).

Propose a theory or model that could be used to support the implementation of the strategic plan for this organization. Explain why this theory or model is best

           The theory that I would propose to support the implementation of the strategic plan for UnitedHealth would be the Blue Ocean Strategy. Blue Ocean Strategies concept is in developing uncontested marketplace, rather than a marketplace that can be oversaturated. By implementing or building a blue ocean it has the potential for enormous value enhancement that will benefit the business, employees and the buyers. (HigherStudy.org. 2019).

References

Dianis, N. L., Wolbach, T. L., & Spiegelman, M. (2016). The NHLBI–UnitedHealth Global Health Centers of Excellence Program: Assessment of Impact of Federal Funding Through a Social Network Analysis. Global heart, 11(1), 145. 

Engelgau, M. M., Sampson, U. K., Rabadan-Diehl, C., Smith, R., Miranda, J., Bloomfield, G. S., & Alam, D. S. (2016). Tackling NCD in LMIC: achievements and lessons learned from the NHLBI–UnitedHealth Global Health Centers of Excellence Program. Global heart, 11(1), 5-15.

Gruber, D., Berman, I., & Wilson, A. B. (2018). Making the US a Telehealth Ready Nation. Telehealth and Medicine Today.

HigherStudy.org. (2019). HigherStudy.Retrieved from Strategic Management Model : https://higherstudy.org/strategic-management-model-with-examples/

Shanley, W. (2018). UnitedHealthcare’s New and Enhanced Digital Health Resources Help Empower People to More Effectively Use Their Benefits and Curb Health Care Costs.Retrieved from businesswire: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181031005142/en/