Dear Lisa,
I would like tor respond to your post on the organizational culture in healthcare systems. I think that your writing piece has excellent points on underlining the complexity of healthcare organizations and the uniqueness of their culture. It was very insightful to read the application of theoretical principles in your analysis of the Ohio Hematology Oncology Practice. I found your assessment very easy-to-follow as you structured it according to a specific technique designed to assess organizational culture in healthcare organizations.

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Speaking from my practical experience, I can certainly relate to the importance of a supportive environment and reliable communication channels between different groups of employees and different departments. Unfortunately, I have had a different experience at a healthcare organization where the management did not engage sufficiently in resolving conflicts between different departments.

I would like to add that another benchmark that points the level of sophistication of the organizational structure is the involvement of information technology in communication and managerial practices. Without any doubt, the proper use of both electronic health records and more general IT tools to the benefit of establishing responsive and solid channels of communication is a marker of a strong organization. (Schein, 2010)

Secondly, I would like to emphasize the relevance of leadership and the choice of proper leadership techniques. Organizational culture and leadership are strongly interconnected. Thus, the failure to develop either of them has immediate negative consequences for the other. While the culture of a given community or a professional team (or in this case a healthcare organization) is the major factor that shapes up a leadership model, leadership can be proactive as well. If an organizational structure or a communication channel becomes dysfunctional, it is the task of the hospital leadership to resolve the issue. (Schein, 2010)

At the same time, it is equally important that leaders in healthcare are fully aware of the culture where they operate. In your opinion, what are the most important attributes of a leader in a specific context of a healthcare organization?

References
  • Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.