Banner Health - healthcare facility

Banner Health: A Healthcare Center Committed to Exceptional Service

Banner Health is well-known and respected as a healthcare center that prioritizes outstanding service delivery. It is committed to making a difference in people’s lives by providing them with specialized patient care. Furthermore, Banner Health may service thousands of patients from seven states: Arizona, California, Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, and Nebraska. The essay will assess Banner Health’s readiness to address the health-care demands of Americans in the coming decades. It will also feature Banner Health’s strategy plan, which will allow it to address concerns such as network progress, nurse staffing, resource management, and patient happiness. Banner Health has a well thought out mission statement which aims at prolonging the lives of people by giving them exceptional health care. Hence, serves as a guideline to all its workers to work towards meeting the necessities of the citizens they serve in the next decade (Bannner Health, 2017). The firm is envisioned to achieve national recognition for their high-standing innovations and clinical procedures and get preference over other healthcare organizations. Banner’s goal and vision will prepare them for leadership in the healthcare industry in the coming decade. The firm is currently sourcing out opportunities in medicine to sustain a competitive advantage (Soto et al., 2016).

Use of Superior Technology

Banner Health is committed to secure and use new technologies to develop opportunities in the field of medicine (Khurana et al., 2016). Further; it is involved in extensive planning, integration, and utilization of electronic medical records. With electronic medical records, pertinent patient information; lab results, medical history, digital images, case management and critical communications will only be a clinic on the button away. The company is forward looking by developing technological capability and implementing a system in labor and delivery sections. The system will ensure effective communication and minimize potential complications during childbirth. Banner Health committed no error in electing microphones and cameras along the labor and delivery hall. These communication tools are attached to the physician. The installation provides real-time communication between the doctor, the patient, and other hospital staff.

The entire system adheres to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 requirements and restricts recording and sharing of patient data with unauthorized people. The system not only improves patient care but also ensures mother and child are shielded from complications. The firm values mid-year and end of year performance evaluations from the management. Through performance evaluation, Banner has potential to meet and exceed performance exhibited by rival health care systems (Bremer et al., 2016). The system allows Banner to review performance standard as well as clinical practice in sensitive areas like ICU, Heart Failure, and Stroke with the inclusion of Open heart surgery. The results are forthwith compared with national standards. Such information is fruitful in Banner Health to design policies and procedures which are prerequisites of delivering the best care and increasing patient outcomes. Healthcare evolution and change have served the firm with the opportunity to open small emergency care and health clinics in the community setting (Cairns et al., 2017).

These facilities help to decongest emergency rooms. The community-based health clinics discharge essential services which include vaccine administration, analysis of X-Rays and injuries, general illness and address women health concerns. The clinics significantly increase access to medical specialists and physicians. Care Management Systems add value to an extensive network of Banner Health. Patient care is significantly integrated into the Care Management Systems to enhance positive patient outcomes. By utilizing this system, Banner Health can identify areas which need action and implement ideas and come up with solutions to address these areas (Khurana et al., 2016)

In the healthcare context, medication errors are common. Banner Health employs the use of Care Management Systems to mitigate the medication errors and regularly monitors the administration of medicines (Soto et al., 2016). As a means to become environmentally friendly, the Banner recently launched a program known as “Think Green.” The strategy availed all Banner Health hospitals with directives on proper waste management. Details on how to recycle paper, medical supplies, cans and fluid wastes are well documented in this program. The “Think Green” program is enough proof that Banner health is future focused on serving the needs of many citizens.

Network Growth

Banner only started its journey in 1991, but the company has witnessed growth in seven states. By then, the employee population stood at 22000 with an estimated 2900 hospital beds (Kuhn & Lehn, 2015). Today Banner Health is telling a different story. There are about 38 000 employees with the number of beds counting more 5000 and offers care in the seven states. In the recent past, the firm has opened various community -based health clinics in addition to urgent care facilities and all have access to modern technology, medical supplies and making use of electronic medical records. The discussed facilities have not only seen congestion decrease in the emergency room, but they have also improved staffing ratios regarding the nursing staff versus patients (Kuhn & Lehn, 2015).

Nurse Staffing

The firm is proud of their extraordinary care delivery courtesy of nurses on hire. Hence, critical areas staffed using nurse-patient staffing ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1, while acute cares are described by 1:4 and 1: 5 nurse-patient ratios (Kuhn & Lehn, 2015). At the national front, these ratios provide the minimum. Interestingly, Banner Good Samaritan based in Phoenix, Arizona, is the firm’s only hospital with Magnet status embracing the standards of nursing care. The accomplishments were actualized between 2005 and 2010. Today, more Banner Health hospitals have gotten inclined towards achieving the Magnetic status.

Resource Management

Banner health’s vision provides an avenue for pursuing opportunities to be recognized as a leader in healthcare across the entire American nation. With a presence in seven states, Banner is counted among the largest established health care networks. It is also the most efficient and productive health care provider. Their mission statement of availing high-quality patient care will take them to the next decade in the increasing diverse health care. Banner Health employees often participate in fitness opportunities, biometric screenings, and occupational health Banner finds glory in human wellness and has the interests of the planet at heart. Besides, it has adequately designed policies and procedures to provide optimum care (Cairns et al., 2017).

Patient Satisfaction

The scores of patient satisfaction and reimbursements ties are major concerns for leaders of hospitals in a country (Bremer et al., 2016). As such, patient satisfaction scores are a priority in Banner Health. Apart from ensuring staff members remain compliant, they provide for the hospital’s reimbursement and material data required for national and state funding. Additionally, Banner used PRC questionnaire with scores to measure patient satisfaction. Quarterly report cards are supplied to each unit to assess their Picker scores. Banner emphasizes on collegiality, expertise, and performance. Such elements bear a direct relationship to patient care quality, patient outcomes and satisfaction ratings of staff and patients.

Conclusion

Banner Heath is the pacesetter in the current healthcare setting and has national recognition. Right from the onset, many individuals have utilized the care offered by Banner Health across the seven states. It still ranks among the top five organizations offering health care. The firm is committed to providing continuous access to exceptional health care services, education, and resources to its stakeholders; staff, patients and the community. Currently, collaboration with areas operating within its network has been enhanced to design a strategic plan to address the future needs of network growth, staffing of nurses, and resource management alongside patient satisfaction.

References

Bannner Health (2016). About Banner Health. Retrieved on June 11, 2017 from https://www.bannerhealth.com/about

Bremer, J. A., Duke, K. A., Holland, D. L., Lombardo, C., Wikas, A., Smith, E., ... & Milakovich, R. D. (2016). “Abstract TP411: Banner Health stroke coordinator collaboration lowers door to needle times for the Banner health system of primary stroke centers.” Stroke, 47(1), ATP411.

Cairns, C. B., Bollinger, K., & Garcia, J. G. (2017). A Transformative Approach to Academic Medicine: The Partnership Between the University of Arizona and Banner Health. Academic Medicine, 92(1), pp.20-22.

Khurana, H. S., Groves, R. H., Simmons, M. P., Martin, M., Stoffer, B., Kou, S., ... & Parthasarathy, S. (2016). “Real-Time Automated Continuous Sampling of Electronic Medical Records Predicts Hospital Mortality.” In B46. Critical Care: Icu Epidemiology and Outcomes. USA: American Thoracic Society (pp. A7818-A7818).

Kuhn, B., & Lehn, C. (2015). “Value‐based reimbursement: The Banner Health network experience.” Frontiers of Health Services Management, 32(2), 17-31.

Soto, F., Podkameni, D., Chen, A., Graf, E., Glenn, J., & Jaber, J. (2016). “Seven-year history of band removals at Banner Health Gateway and Estrella, Arizona.” Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 12(7), S77-S78.