course material

1. Building Organisational Capacity in Health Care
This assessment aims to assess the student’ s capacity to critically discuss the structure of
the case study organisation including the strengths and limitations of this structure in
enabling the organisation to achieve their stated mission, vision and strategic objectives.
Students are expected to be able to discuss the importance of vision, mission and goals for
organisations. The assessment also allows students to organise their analysis in a formal
essay form, applying the APA referencing conventions to their work. The module 1 readings
are the framework for this essay and are the support theories for the next two modules
Using the case study provided, develop a short essay which demonstrates critical analysis/
discussion of the Sydney Community Hospital organisational structure and its relationship
to the stated mission, vision and strategic goals of this organisation. The module 1 readings
are the framework for this essay and are the support theories for the next two modules
Details Case Study Background information: The Sydney Community Hospital (SCH), a 110
bed community hospital situated in the outer northern suburbs of the Sydney, has provided
general acute medical, surgical, obstetric and emergency services to the local community.
Over the last 15 years the population of the area has increased significantly to include a
much larger proportion of young families and a significant number of retirement villages
with nursing homes attached. The hospital is no longer able to provide the range of services
and care required to meet the needs of the community and the resources allocated. To deal
with these changes the Government has allocated resources to redevelop the hospital
facilities and restructure the organisation to provide a focus on the health needs of the
growing population and to provide a number of specialty services including cancer,
paediatric, cardiovascular, renal services, trauma services, aged care and community
services. The bed numbers will increase to 200, with an increase in the capacity for
community clinics in the specialties. The Vision statement of the hospital is to œProvide
positive health experiences for the community•. The stated mission of the new, larger
hospital is œto provide highest quality, specialist health care in partnership with patients,
carers, the community at large and other health care providers•. The overall strategic goals
of the new organisation are œto develop high performing, multidisciplinary teams within
the specialist services in order to provide high quality, patient-centred care that is effective,
efficient and able to respond to the changing health needs of the population•. The existing
hospital has a traditional, functional organisational structure but the management team is
currently reviewing alternative organisational structures which might be better suited to
the changing internal and external environments of the organisation and which have the

2. potential to improve communication and collaboration across teams as well as
accountability for resource utilisation, quality of care and patient outcomes. Essay
instructions: After reading the case study above and using the course materials and
essential readings, develop a short, critical essay style discussion paper. Within the essay,
ensure that the following four (4) key points below are part of the discussion. 1. The
advantages and limitations of the existing hospital organisational structure for the current
health care environment and changing health needs of the population. 2. Suggest an
alternative organisational structure that might be suitable for the new health service;
describe the features of such a structure and identify how that structure might better
facilitate the achievement of the new mission and strategic goals of the organisation. 3.
Identify the key lines of authority and responsibility for achieving the overall organisational
goals within the suggested structure (you may wish to compare this with the key lines of
authority and responsibility in the previous functional structure). 4. Critically analyse the
advantages and limitations of the suggested type of structure in relation to the changing
health care environment and what the organisation wishes to achieve for patients, carers
and the community. This assignment requires you to read and critically analyse the material
from Module 1 of the Unit Learning Modules and the Study Guide in order to understand
organisations from the point of view of their purpose and what they aim to achieve (the
vision, mission and strategic goals); how organisational structures provide lines of
authority and responsibility for achieving the mission and goals and the advantages and
limitations of the various organisational structures commonly used in health care. The
analysis should critically examine the type of organisational structure that would be
suitable for an organisation undergoing the described change and redevelopment and
comment on the usefulness of that type of structure in helping the organisation to achieve
the stated mission, strategy and goals. In writing this critical discussion paper, it is
important to: read and interpret the information provided in the course materials; to
question and evaluate that information; relate the theory to what happens in practice;
identify problems and possible solutions, develop an argument (or series of arguments) and
support your suggestions and arguments with evidence from the literature and examples
from the field. The two primary aims of this type of critical reading, thinking and writing are
to analyse and evaluate the work of other people and develop your own arguments
(supported by evidence, specifically appropriate references). Please remember to: write in
clear, concise English, avoid long lists or dot points and lengthy quotes and use examples
from the case study to demonstrate your understanding of the ideas and concepts from the
literature. Learning modules will be attached. Note: word count is 1500 words please.