Organizations Internal Strengths

An important part of the combined external and internal analysis of a health care organization is
the identification of its strengths. According to Robbins et al. (2014), strengths are any activities the
organization does well or any unique resources that it has (p. 211). One identified strength of Holy
Mercy hospital is its adequate functional beds to care for acute and critical hospitalized patients.
The number of beds in acute care hospitals greatly affects patient access to care. According to
Wang, Hare, Vertesi and Rutherford (2011), bed distribution and allocation affects the operation of an
acute care hospital. This implies that a hospital with adequate bed counts such as Holy Mercy hospital
tend to have a reduced patient wait times. Holy Mercy hospital also reflects a balanced number of bed
counts among its acute and critical care areas. Wang et. al, (2011) stated that a health care organization
could utilize this balanced system of bed counts in minimizing the blocking of beds and having smooth
patient care transitions from the emergency department into specific health care departments. For
instance, in the case of Holy Mercy hospital, their number of beds are sufficient which mirrors that the
organization has capacity planning and management especially in the emergency department as it is the
initial access point where patient wait time is at its peak. Similarly, this adequate availability of hospital
beds avoids emergency department congestion. Having an adequate number of beds is considered a
strength of a health care organization because it echoes operational efficiency by providing patients
timely access to acute care services which can lead to better patient health outcomes.
Most importantly, it is vital for an acute care hospital to have an equilibrium between bed
capacity and patient demand. According to Green (2003), evaluating bed capacity requirements of a
hospital is also directly related to its manpower and technological advancement. This equilibrium in bed
utilization and capacity management could enable holy mercy hospital to achieve its mission which is to
become a world leader in health care programs.

Another identified strength is the comprehensiveness of the hospitals acute and critical care
services reflected through its program structure. This shows that the hospital has a strategic priority which
is to provide a comprehensive health care to its complex clients. Rhodes, Ferdinande, Flaatten, Guidet,
Metnitz, and Moreno (2012), emphasized that the need for critical care capacity worldwide is
increasing (p.1648). In addition, according to Derham (2007), continual advancements in medical
treatments are needed in acute care centers as the number of patients requiring complex care continues to
rise. The program structure of Holy mercy hospital reflects a wide scope of different services provided
for the clients. Derham (2007) stated that it is recommended that critical care facilities expand their scope
of services in order to meet the increasing demand for patient care. Finally, to further achieve the
utilization of a wide scope of comprehensive services, holy mercy hospital could focus on improving its
resources such as its staff and available equipment.

References

Derham, C. (2007). Achieving comprehensive critical care. Nursing in Critical Care, 12(3), 124-131.
doi:10.1111/j.1478-5153.2007.00217.x
Green, L. V. (2003). How many hospital beds? Inquiry - Excellus Health Plan, 39(4), 400-12. Retrieved
from http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/221000534?
accountid=13631
Rhodes, A., Ferdinande, P., Flaatten, H., Guidet, B., Metnitz, P. G., & Moreno, R. P. (2012). The
variability of critical care bed numbers in europe. Intensive Care Medicine, 38(10), 1647-1653.
doi:10.1007/s00134-012-2627-8
Robbins, S.P., Coulter, M., Leach, E., & Kilfoil, M. (2014). Management. (11th Canadian ed.). Toronto:
Pearson Prentice Hall. Chapter 9.
Wang, Y., Hare, W. L., Vertesi, L., & Rutherford, A. R. (2011). Using simulation to model and optimize
acute care access in relation to hospital bed count and bed distribution. Journal of Simulation, 5(2),
101-110. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/jos.2010.7