Hartland Memorial Hospital’s Administration

Subject:	Administration and Regulation
Pages:	9
Words:	2361
Reading time:	8 min
Study level:	College

Item No.	Action Alternatives (check one)	Action Content for Item (quick notes / bullet points)
Scott Little – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	Email Jane Tryst to find out how the patient disappeared without being noticed, how she got access to the basement wash room, and take administrative against on the errant officers. Call the family to issue apology
Mabel Westfield letter	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	There seems to be a problem, with either morale or supervision, hence a meeting with nursing supervisor Jane Tryst, and Sylvia Godfrey, and the staff relations officer, Fran Nixon should help unearth the issues for further action.
Mom – Voicemail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:_Call within the day over lunch) No response needed	This is a personal call and it is not ok to bring up family issues at work unless it is an emergency. The issue with dad needs a long-term solution and not a daily quick fix. It is still important to call mum to help her calm her nerves because of the stress this issue is causing her.
Allan Reid – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	Forward the email from Mabel Westfield to Allan Reid and ask to meet him after discussion with the superintendents and the staff relations officer. Also ask Reid in the email if they can come to the meeting with Reid to discuss the proposals

Sylvia Godfrey – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	This is further proof that we have a serious morale problem at the hospital. There is need to talk to Sylvia Godfrey to help her calm down as we seek a long-term solution. There is a need to talk over the issue with Nichols, the head of Human resource to find out how best to handle the situation. Since it will not take long to send the mail, it makes sense to send it right away.
Janet Trist – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	Could the self-scheduling systems be part of the recent change in staff morale? There need to have a meeting and talk with Janet to find out more about this issue. Since the system is the best way forward on how the hospital manages it scheduling, there is need to revise the implementation approach to reduce the impact of the transition. This necessitates discussions with the head of the implementation team under Cynthia Nichols, the Head of human resource
High school student	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	It would be nice to make it for this speaking engagement, there may be a problem finding time. If I cannot make it, then I should request Anne Armstrong, the assistant director-Nursing services. The best course of action is to ask Wilma to schedule it on my calendar and send a letter of confirmation to the school. In addition, I will send the email to Armstrong and request her to prepare to stand in for me in case I cannot make it. I will confirm with her a week to the time. Wilma should help with this too
Marion Simpson – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	This is an HR issue. I will forward the email to HR and ask for a solution. I will also ask the internal audit to mail me follow up on this matter as HR institutes corrective measures.
Wilma – written note	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	It important to call Mr. Little back, usually when he doesn’t leave a message, it is because of the confidentiality of the matter, if he didn’t ask me to call back, then it means he prefers a face to face meeting. Therefore, I will call to find out how soon he wants to see me.
Cynthia Nichols – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	This is both serious and urgent. I need to set this process rolling as soon as possible. I will ask Wilma to set up a meeting later in the day with Fran Nixon and George Cross.
Marion Simpson – memo	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	If that is the case, then it means I need to find an alternative way of getting financing for future travel. There may be need to ask for an increment in the travel budget to facilitate travel. This may first require talking with the president Allan Reid. I can do this in our meeting today in the evening.
Wilma – written note	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	Actually, it makes more sense to talk to Sutter about the finance hitch from my travel reimbursements, to see if I can get a budget raise for travel reimbursements as I send the budget estimates. I will call him for his advice before calling the president, and if need be then I will raise the issues with the president.
Scott Little – memo	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	I need to appoint someone to represent the hospital in this campaign. It is important for the hospital. I will request Jane Sawchuck because of her interest in the program.
Wilma – written note	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	Mr. Stevens visit must relate to the lost patient case. It may be too late call the family now. What we need then is to finds out what went wrong and institute corrective measures as I had decided. I need to call Mr. Stevens as soon as possible to hear him out and tell him what we plan to do to handle this situation.
Coach Bailey – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	With the amount of work on my desk, I doubt I will find time to make it to the game. I will request Wilma to handle it. If she cannot, then I will have to turn down the request too. Call Wilma right away, and based on her response, I will call the coach.
Jane Sawchuck – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	Nosocomial infections are very serious. This has to do with the implementation of existing standards. If the implementation took place as planned, these infections would not occur. I need to talk to Jane Sawchuck to help with the implementation. It appears that I will also need to follow up on this matter for the next few months until the issue is clear. I need to respond Sawchuck to keep monitoring the implementation of the existing procedures.
Allen Reid – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	Another appointment today will completely send my time in a spin. I will have to see her after work hours. I can arrange to buy her coffee at a nearby restaurant. I will send an email to Reid to say as much.
Scott Little – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	Further action depends on the call to Scott
Bernard Stevens – phone message	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	I need to talk to Wilma as soon as she comes to reschedule my day, to put this meeting into perspective
Clement Westaway– e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	I need to get back to Dr Westaway as soon as I review the proposals. For the moment, I need to let him know when I will get back with the plan.
Cynthia Nichols – e-mail	Call Immediately Note to call w/in 2-3 days Email immediately Email w/in day Meet with ASAP Forward to:______________ Note to meet w/in 2-3 days Other (specify:__________) No response needed	We are actually behind time in this, I will ask Armstrong to handle the interview before the end of the day.
22. Allen Reid –on the phone	What do you do now? Clearly, there is a lot at stake, and this is a direct order from the president that I cannot ignore. I have to find a solution that ensures this situation does not escalate any further. There is need to send a team to find her. There is need also to call the family as soon as possible just as the president suggested.

Aside from the last item (#22), what are the four most critical items to address? (Indicate item number.) __1___ ___6___ ____10____ ____16____

Think of reasons why these four items are the most critical. What professional/personal values and priorities do they reflect?

The most common thing about them is that there is a huge health and reputation risk associated with the failure to deal with any of them can lead to a catastrophic situation. The professional values they communicate to me are unreserved care of patients, recognition that staff morale is important to the overall quality of care that the hospital provides. The one on sexual harassment comes from the twin fold concern for members of staff that suffer sexual harassment and the reputational damage a public case can inflict on the hospital.

Total number of items marked:
7	Call immediately	3	Note to call w/in 2-3 days
4	Email immediately	4	Email w/in day
1	Meet with ASAP		Forward to
1	Note to meet w/in 2-3 days		Other: _______1_________
1	No response needed

Looking back on the work you have just laid out, is it feasible to accomplish in the time constraints faced by this administrator? What happens next? What techniques would your group use to make it through this day?

The work all looks very urgent, and some of it has deadlines dictated by agreements and factors beyond the control of the administrator’s office. The overall result is an overwhelming feeling caused by the number of issues that require attention. It is not feasible to pursue all matters in person. Even then, it is impossible to give them full attention. Some means of prioritizing work is necessary.

The best way to handle most of these issues is to take care of the need to respond by short calls and emails, and then get processes into place that allow for the solving of the root causes. There seems to be a relationship between the incidents reported and low staff morale. If the hospital can sort the issue of morale, then it is likely that some of the incidents witnessed at the hospital such as lost patients and development of infections would not occur.

Notes/Comments

This case proves that one of the essential skills every administrator need is the capacity to integrate different volumes of unrelated information, and to act efficiently when responding to them. Otherwise, it is very possible to end up in a wild goose chase without resolving the issues at stake.