Assignment:
Management in healthcare can be a very challenging career, as the healthcare field is in a state of constant change. In order to be an effective leader, one must stay abreast of policy changes with nationally recognized associations (American Society of Pathologists, JCAHO, American College of Surgeons, etc.) as well as changes to the law (state, federal, and local). Also, it is important that leaders not only consider laws and policies, but also keep a pulse on the community that they are serving to be mindful of the culture of the community and the people, as the demographics can change as the community grows.
An example of this discussion would be the birth control discourse currently going on in the United States. While most insurance companies are currently offering coverage, some companies are against it for religious reasons. The disagreements have gotten so polarized that it has brought a case before the supreme court to decide if employers can not cover birth control for religious reasons, which discussed that the Affordable Care Act violated an employers constitutional right to religious freedom practices (Chittenden III, Doolin, Wall, & Jeffery, 2015).
Another discussion is the practice of withdrawing life support. One argument in support of this is that a patient and/or family has the right to say no to a treatment after they have been given all the information to make an informed consent (Jin Ha, Shin Ok, JinSun, & Sungwan, 2015). Then, there are those that say that this is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath and that healthcare providers should do everything possible no matter what or for religious reasons (Brierley, Linthicum, & Petros, 2013). This example is one in which leadership of an organization will need to provide guidance for stakeholders in order to make sure that the organization is following the law, but respecting the culture of the patient and family. Having policies in place, organizational goals, and providing education to staff on theses issues will enable the facility to deliver quality care that is legal and ethical.
References:
Brierley, J., Linthicum, J., & Petros, A. (2013). Should religious beliefs be allowed to stonewall a secular approach to withdrawing and withholding treatment in children? Journal of
Medical Ethics, 39(9), 573.
Chittenden III, W. A., Doolin, E. G., Wall, J. F., & Jeffery, J. R. (2015). Recent developments in health insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance law. Tort Trial & Insurance
Practice Law Journal, 50(2), 401-438.
Jin Ha, P., Shin Ok, K., JinSun, C., & Sungwan, N. (2015). Evaluation of informed consent for withholding and withdrawal of life support in Korean intensive care units. Korean Journal
of Critical Care Medicine (2383-4870), 30(2), 73-81.