With all the bad press the Affordable Health Act has been getting, especially during the past year with an extremely heated presidential campaign that called everything President Obama has done into question, the one good thing that came out of it all is that there is a general understanding now that healthcare is still broken in this country. Obamacare attempted to make a fix, but something is still lacking and it is still in need of being revamped and revitalized. Today’s healthcare management needs strong leadership skills in order to keep everything together while changes are being made. Here are some of the reasons why healthcare administration needs to stay strong and focused.
A Shortage of Key Personnel
There is no question that most, if not all, hospitals are short staffed. Not only do they lack doctors and nurses, but with budgetary cuts across the board, every position from hourly maintenance staff to specialist surgeons are in short supply. In addition, there is the additional worry over insurance companies who aren’t finding it lucrative to participate any longer in Obamacare. With all of this going on, it is imperative that healthcare leadership takes an active role in keeping things running smoothly until solutions can be found.
Patients’ Tempers Are Flaring
Another ‘side effect’ of an Affordable Care Act that isn’t affordable is the fact that patients’ tempers are flaring. Those in the middle income bracket are spending as much as 40% of their pay on insurance and then the deductibles and copays are so high that they just have nothing else left to meet their expenses if a sudden illness should crop up. It falls upon strong healthcare management to step in to ease frustration on the part of patients and staff alike. If ever there was a time for strong leadership in healthcare, it would be today.
There Is No Time for Despair!
Leadership in healthcare always necessitates being strong of will and character, but even the bravest souls will occasionally throw up their hands in despair. There is no time for that now because it falls upon administrators to be the glue that holds the system together, even if only temporarily. A more permanent solution will be found, but until that time it’s imperative to realize that ‘this too will pass.’
At the end of the day, if you are asking yourself “Is an MSHA degree worth it?” then you might need to do some soul searching. Most healthcare professionals know that they are going to make a good salary, but they are also in the industry for altruistic reasons. There are other professions out there where they could make equal, if not better, salaries, but those jobs don’t satisfy the need to do something with meaning. You may be frustrated at the moment, and no one can promise it won’t get worse before it gets better, but it will get better. Of that you can be sure. It may take some time and you will be required to stay strong, but when the light appears at the end of the tunnel you will know why you stuck it out.
