Importance of Mission and Vision Statements in Strategic Planning

Importance of Mission and Vision Statements in Strategic Planning

Mission and vision statements are critical components of healthcare strategic planning. The mission statement informs patients about who the organization is and what it does, whereas the vision statement informs them about where the organization intends to go and how they intend to get there. Stevens District Hospital could choose from a number of different mission and vision statements. When choosing a mission and vision statement, consider what the organization stands for and where they want to go in the future.

Statement of Mission and Vision

Stevens District Hospital’s new mission and vision statement will be as follows: Mission: To be deeply committed to the communities we serve and to improve population health and well-being. Vision: To provide an exceptional experience at every interaction. The chosen mission and vision statements are justified by the fact that Stevens District Hospital was once owned by the government and received the majority of its funding from the government as well. It is safe to assume that little has changed since the company was spun off from the government. Because of the hospital’s previous strategic plan goals, these mission and vision statements were chosen over the other options. Stevens District Hospital set a goal of improving its HCAPS scores in all six criteria to the 85th percentile. The hospital improved in four of the six criteria but not in inpatient patient satisfaction or primary care patient satisfaction. This new vision statement outlines the organization’s future goals.

The new mission and vision statements describe where the organization is now and where it intends to go in the future (Beckham, 2016). The vision statement demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to improving HCAPS scores in patient satisfaction criteria. Based on the previous year’s goals and where the organization fell short, this is the best choice of the available options for the new mission and vision statement.

The strategic planning process is used to develop mission and vision statements. The strategic plan is developed based on where the organization is now and where it wishes to go (Beckham, 2016). The strategic plan should result from an evaluation of the organization’s situation (Beckham, 2016). This examines both the internal and external environments, which aids in determining where the similarities exist. It is critical to involve active board members in the strategic planning process because they can provide insights based on their own professional experiences (Beckham, 2016). It is critical to include physicians in the strategic planning process. Healthcare providers can demonstrate to organizations what the patient requires and how the provider can meet those needs.

The Mission and Vision Statement’s Strengths Have Been Selected.

The mission and vision statements I chose have the advantage of providing directions both now and in the future. Both statements are also consistent with the mission and vision of the hospital. Both the mission and vision statements leave little to no room for employees, patients, and other stakeholders to be uncertain about where the hospital is heading. The mission and vision statements chosen can be used to communicate with all internal and external members.

The Mission and Vision Statements’ Weaknesses Were Not Selected.

The most significant flaws in both the mission and vision statements that were not chosen are that they appear somewhat unrealistic. For example, because Stevens District Hospital offers far fewer services than its competitors, it appears that selecting “to improve health by providing high-quality care” would be impractical. Because providing the care the patient requires when the patient requires it is defined as quality in healthcare. So, I look at it this way because, according to their own review, the Stevens District Hospital facility currently has limited services, which means they would struggle to provide care for those whose services are not equipped to handle, such as emergency maternal, premature, newborn, or other care. If they had said, “Improve health by providing high-quality care to all or everyone,” I might have chosen that as my mission statement.

The weaknesses with those vision statements are that they are also unrealistic because there are two regional competitors (Hanover County Hospital and a Medical Center South of the Stevens District Hospital) that are currently drawing patients away due to facility upgrades and providing more comprehensive services. According to the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Fast Fact on U.S. Hospitals (2019), there were 6,210 registered hospitals in the United States in their 2017 annual survey. There are only three hospitals within a fifty-mile radius of Stevens District Hospital when using the zip code 96101. If Stevens District Hospital is currently losing patients to the other two competitors, immediate and purposeful change is required.

The push for a Strategic Plan

Long-term strategic planning in healthcare is typically done no more than three years in advance (Strategic Planning: Why It Makes a Difference, and How to Do it, 2009). The board should meet at least once a year to review the practice goals and make any necessary changes. They should also plan for any changes that may occur over the next year at this time. This can include the increased patient population and how they will serve all of the new patients. An outside facilitator may be useful in developing the organization’s mission and vision statements as well as assisting with the strategic planning process. Using an outside facilitator to assist in this process provides a fresh perspective on progress and lack of progress in areas that the organization may not have anticipated. Begin by creating the mission statement, which will serve as the foundation for the strategic plan. It should reflect the organization’s current state. The vision statement should then be written. The vision statement should be broad in scope and represent the organization’s ultimate goal or proposed future (Strategic Planning: Why It Makes a Difference, and How to Do it, 2009). A mission statement influences essential priorities because it is formed from the organization’s core values and beliefs. Sufi and Lyons (2003), as cited in Gulati et al., “Mission statements include broad elements such as purpose, strategy, values, and behavioral standards” (2016). Organizational purpose, along with values, determines an organization’s philosophy or core ideology, which can be defined as a rich system of values and beliefs shared by the members that distinguishes it from other organizations.” Vision statements are also considered important for organizational transformation and business success, according to Gulati, R., Ph.D. et al. (2016). Creating a vision allows leaders to consider their hopes and aspirations for the future of the organization. Ideally, all business decisions, plans, and activities should be aimed at achieving the company’s vision.

Conclusion

Strategic planning is built on mission and vision statements. There is no foundation for an organization’s strategic plan without a mission or vision statement. There is no direction for the organization to take. The mission statement informs stakeholders about the organization and what it stands for. The vision statement provides a high-level overview of where the organization sees itself in the coming years. These statements should be revisited as needed to refocus at least once a year or whenever changes occur in the organization. Staff should be involved in the strategic planning process because they can provide insight based on their personal experiences in their areas of expertise.

References:

Beckham, D. (2016, June). How to Make Strategic Planning Work for Your Health Care Organization. Hospitals & Health Networks, (), Retrieved from https://www.hhnmag.com/articles/7361-how-to-make-strategic-plan work-for-your-health-care-organization

Gulati, R., PhD., Mikhail, O., PhD., Morgan, R. O., PhD., & Sittig, D. F., Ph.D. (2016). Vision statement quality and organizational performance in U.S. hospitals. Journal of Healthcare Management, 61(5), 335-351. Retrieved from https://search-proquest- com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/1833937280?accountid=134061

Kirkpatrick, S. A. (2017, March). Understanding the Role of Vision, Mission, and Values in the HPT Model. Performance improvement (International Society for Performance Improvement), 56(3), 6-14. EBSCO/host.

Strategic Planning in Hospitals (2019) Retrieved from, https://www.stratadecision.com/healthcare-and-hospital-strategic-planning/

The American Hospital Association (AHA) Fast Fact on U.S. Hospitals, (2019) Retrieved from, https://www.aha.org/statistics/fast-facts-us-hospitals

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As a manager and leader, you must be able to evaluate management and adaptable leadership skills in the healthcare industry. Important leadership skills are strategic planning and business development. Before you can develop a strategic plan that drives the goals and helps to define what success looks like for your organization, you must have a clear vision and mission. For this assignment, you will demonstrate your skill by evaluating the importance of a mission statement and vision statement for the strategic plan within a healthcare organization.

Assignment Preparation

Review the Stevens District Hospital Strategic-Planning Scenario about a fictional, not-for-profit acute care hospital in Jefferson City. The hospital provides a range of services, including medical/surgical, rehab, and emergency care in a regional market of 80,000 people. This assignment and future course assignments will use the hospital and scenario information.

Imagine the following: Your role in this planning process will be as the director of the radiology department at Stevens District Hospital. Your department performs a wide variety of X-ray procedures, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and MRI testing. In this planning process, you will evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to the hospital and the role your department can play in increasing business for the hospital.

Review the following mission and vision statements:

• Option 1: Mission: To improve health by providing high-quality care. Vision: Provide the highest level of service in the county.
• Option 2: Mission: To improve health by providing high-quality care. Vision: Provide the broadest range of services in the county.
• Option 3: Mission: To be deeply committed to the communities we serve; we enhance population health and well-being. Vision: Deliver an exceptional experience with every encounter.

Select the most appropriate mission and vision statement for the hospital from the previous list and use the statements for this assignment.

Assignment Directions

Write a 700- to 1,050-word summary in which you:

• Identify the mission and vision statements you selected for Stevens District Hospital.
• Explain the rationale for why you selected the mission and vision statements.
• Identify the specific strengths of the mission and vision statement selected.
• Identify the weaknesses of the mission and vision statements not selected.
• Explain how the mission and vision statements drive the strategic plan for Stevens District Hospital.