MHA FPX 5010 Assessment 3 Developing and Communicating the Strategic Action Plan

Slide 1

• Developing and Communicating the Strategic Action Plan

I am ____________________, and have been given the task of formulating a regional communication strategy and plan of action for Nor’easter Medical Center. One of our goals is to build the capacity to initiate urgent hiring. However, this program has a capacity for further development and expansion of the organization. Therefore, the main goal of this program is to secure the full commitment of all staff, executive management, and stakeholders. This commitment will facilitate the cultivation of a dedicated and responsive workforce, as well as the cultivation of organizational adaptability. The aim is to improve the organization’s capacity to reach and articulate pertinent workforce goals and to complement them with an increase in organizational outputs and service quality.

Slide 2

• Identification of Issues

Tamata and Mohammad Nezhad (2022) analyze workforce issues in rural communities with Nor’easter Medical Center (NMC) as a case study. They state that the Southern Maine hospital is experiencing a contracting and unexpandable nursing workforce, a nursing workforce shortage and increased reliance on contracted agency staff. Compounding this is clinician burnout. This situation leads to the workforce and organizational morale decline and deteriorates the quality and safety of care. The negative and unsafe work conditions and inadequate workplace technologies also contribute to a lack of workforce engagement. This lack of engagement undermines the organization’s intent to focus on a more integrated and flexible work environment which is preferred by the younger workforce. These problems align with the 2025 American Hospital Association Environmental Scan. The American Hospital Association (2025) predicts that the nursing workforce will be engaged at 78% by 2036. These problems demonstrate the need for a drastically different set of workforce engagement and labor relations management strategies in the healthcare sector.

Slide 3

• Action Plan Initiatives-1

Resource Optimization and Financial Sustainability

Nor‘Easter Medical Center has to balance the resource allocation for efficiency and maintain affordability for its clientele. Halverson et al. (2025) suggest that the new partnerships that focus on the completion of the student meal/trainer pathways and related health programs can lower the hiring and retention costs of healthcare workers in the long term. Also, the Center aims for funding through federal and state grants for the development of rural health workers and for community development. The combination of documentation and scheduling technology, along with AI (Rožman et al., 2023), will improve operational effectiveness and staff retention through the reduction of the workload on staff. The novel use of finances and resources will ensure that the clientele and staff are retained.

Slide 4

• Action Plan Initiatives-2

Workforce Wellness and Burnout Mitigation

In the context of clinical burnout, Nor’easter Medical Center may consider retention, employee engagement, and the quality of care as primary areas of concern. Employees may benefit from wellness programs that include stress management workshops, counseling, and training. (Dossett et al., 2021). Mentoring of new staff and peer supportive programs will facilitate the reduction of isolation and assist in the accommodations to the new cultural environment. In addition to appreciation and recognition programs, staff will receive new initiatives related to career growth, and the center will demonstrate its commitment. A demanding unit may feel the positive impact of the reallocation of work, and staff will notice a decline in turnover and an improved work environment due to innovative, flexible work arrangements.

Slide 5

• Action Plan Initiatives-3

Modernized Workforce Strategy and Competitive Market Positioning

Nor’easter Medical Center must change its workforce policies and practices to recruit top talent. Alkan et al. (2024) explain that Center administrators and support staff would enjoy greater job satisfaction if the Center allowed hybrid/remote work. Productivity would benefit from scheduling and billing functions being performed by artificial intelligence (AI) and administrative record keeping, allowing Center staff to spend more time on patient care. Also, Nor’easter Medical Center intends to attract workers by offering the ‘Right to Work’ policy and ‘Right to Work’ provisions, equity in pay, benefits, and promotional opportunities. (Willmington et al., 2022). Digital recruitment and employer branding will be employed as part of this strategy.

Slide 6

• Human Resource and Financial Perspectives of an Action Plan

Nor’easter Medical Center incorporates its financial and HR resources into its strategy. As discussed in Shiri et al. (2023), flexible hours, employee appreciation, and employee wellness programs decrease turnover and increase engagement and retention. Flexibility programs attract the younger employees who are more and better able to adapt to workplace technologies and appreciate more workplace self-regulation and control. (Fagerdal et al. 2022). Even though there is a cost to the initial introduction, along with the workforce improvement/up-skilling, the balance of the productivity and cost savings will more than offset the disadvantage. Employee burnout and the negative effects of continually recruiting will both be significantly alleviated.

Slide 7

• Communication Strategy

The communication plan developed to obtain employee engagement is vital to the successful implementation of a particular action plan and the associated strategies. Kimani (2023) notes that the Nor’easter Medical Center can improve its feedback and communication update system by utilizing multiple communication channels across various layers of staff. Kimani proposes complementary, regular updates on ongoing communication through internal newsletters and offers town halls as opportunities for executive management to directly respond to employee queries to help build an open and transparent environment. Further, Lin et al (2022) propose that the establishment of both virtual and/or physical opportunities and feedback, or suggestion boxes, coupled with team huddles, is an effective way to create channels for employees to express concerns and help facilitate the resolution of workplace challenges. The clarity of the focused message, coupled with the described communication channels, is the best avenue to engage both the clinical and administrative staff and to build trust and support for the strategy.

Slide 8

• Effective Leadership Soft Skills

Leadership is central to the evolution of business strategies. As stated by Bornman and Louw (2023), Nor’easter Medical Center’s leaders will require mentoring to possess the ability to motivate and manage. Leaders can articulate new challenges and clarify the roles and responsibilities associated with a new program. Burdening a department can help to foster interdepartmental relationships (Yue et al., 2022). Trust is established and nurtured by open communication regarding the organization’s challenges and successes in a timely manner. The health care industry is a rapidly changing environment, and flexibility in motivation and strategy will be required.

Slide 9

• Conclusion

Nor’easter Medical Center’s multi-faceted method aims to counter clinician burnout and clinician practice issues. Solutions include an academic partnership, wellness resources, an enhanced telework program, and the incorporation of AI, giving a safety net and improved staff efficiency. The hospital is aiming for a more sustainable method of achieving its goals. When companies focus their cutting-edge resources on their staff, top employees can be retained while the company offers excellent wellness services. The potential positive impact of these changes is overwhelming, leaving the necessity of executive and stakeholder support and advocacy for staff wellbeing at the forefront of the conversation.