Description
Assignment 1
Executive Memo on Improving the Hospital Admissions Process
Purpose: Safety and quality measures are the responsibility of administrators, who implement institutional protocols, as well as frontline healthcare professionals such as nurses. Students will analyze the ways of ensuring efficacy of institutional protocols. Using the provided case study, students will write an executive memo describing improvements to the admission process.
Scenario: Upon arrival, a patient reports to the hospital registration/admitting area. The patient completes paperwork and provides an insurance identification card if insured. An identification bracelet that includes the patient’s name and doctor’s name is placed around the patient’s wrist. The patient signs a consent form.
Instructions: Write a 2-3-page (double-spaced) memo focused on quality improvement opportunities that will be needed. Use this memo template for your assignment.
The manager of the hospital registration/admission area has asked you to write a memo that describes what data should be gathered to improve the admission process. Identify and describe the data you would use to report performance results for the measures. What data source could be used to gather this information? Why would you use these data sources?
Your executive memo would be written with the following framework:
Contains an executive summary/overview of two paragraphs
Clearly describes the hospital and admission measurements chosen and provides analysis of how your data will improve this process
Provides two to four actionable recommendations for the manager of the hospital registration area to consider implementing to improve the hospital’s admissions and registration processes
Provides a summary of your findings
Include a reference page of any sources used in APA format
Resources
Nash, D. (2019). The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy, and Tools (4th ed.). Health Administration Press. https://reader2.yuzu.com/books/9781640550544
Assignment 2
ZIP Codes and Health Outcomes
Purpose: To explore demographics and life expectancy in neighboring Texas communities.
Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to compare demographic data and health outcomes in neighboring Texas communities. The resources provided below are starting points for your additional research; use the research tips from our readings this week to find as many sources of data as needed to provide a clear and complete picture of the situation. When using multiple sources of data, be sure to use the same parameters (e.g. data from the same year; data from within the same boundary lines). You may also want to watch the Zip Code Matters – DocumentaryLinks to an external site. to help broaden your understanding of this topic.
Feel free to use these resources as a jumping-off point for your own research:
https://chronicdata.cdc.gov/browse?category=500+Ci…
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/maps_data.htm
Begin by conducting research on demographics and life expectancy in different neighboring ZIP codes using https://www.texashealthmaps.com/lfex and https://statisticalatlas.com/United-States/Overvie… Practice using the tools within these resources. Be sure to look at different zip codes in the same area (e.g. different ZIP codes within the same city; neighboring towns).
Choose two neighboring ZIP codes that vary in either demographics or life expectancy and use the above-mentioned resources to report on the differences between life expectancy and demographics in the two communities.
You may need to explore with the tools or do some preliminary research to ensure that you choose two ZIP codes in the same city/county that have different life expectancies.
Think about the data that you have found. Consider the differences in both life expectancy and in demographics.
Discuss the following:
describe the areas whose ZIP codes you chose to compare
include a summary of the demographics and life expectancy of each ZIP code; feel free to include other information (e.g. crime rates, healthcare access, highway locations) about the communities as well
compare and contrast the data for each ZIP code
reflect on what you think could be contributing to the difference in life expectancy from one ZIP code to the other
identify at least three potential causes for the disparity between life expectancy from one ZIP code to the other
reflect on this assignment and on the idea that your ZIP code helps to determine your life expectancy