PHHA 430 Final Exam (Ch 1-15)
In your internship, one of the younger people on the senior leadership team reflects,
"You know that, when you're a leader, any associate or patient comment should get a
constructive response. When I started, I had a lot of trouble understanding what
'constructive response' means. What do you think that term means?" You reply, "I think
it means..."
"...solving the problem raised if you can and accepting it as an OFI if you can't."
You are meeting a group of new associates joining your well-managed HCO. You show
them the mission on the HCO's website and say, "Our mission is very real to us. It's..."
"...a public declaration of intentions—why we're here."
WMHO defines stakeholders as having "a direct interest in an organization's success."
A PIT studying a not-for-profit HCO's mission wants to know, "Are some stakeholders
more important than others? Can we give priority to the interests of some group of
stakeholders at the expense of others shown in exhibit 1.3?" You reply:
"They all have equal rights. If their 'direct interests' are not met, any stakeholder group
can close us down."
A curious associate asks, "Who owns our HCO?" It's a nonreligious not-for-profit that is
a subsidiary of a larger system with many HCOs (like Sharp, Henry Ford, or Sutter
Health). You respond, "The individual HCOs are owned by..."
"...the communities they serve."
Excellence is defined as "safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and
equitable." A new associate asks you why "safe" is first. You reply:
a. “Because it has a long tradition. Hippocrates said ‘First, do no harm.’ 2,000 years
ago. It’s also consistent with ‘Do unto others.’”
b. “Because people come to healthcare with troubles and limitations, and they trust
us to help, not harm.”
c. “Because accrediting and regulatory stakeholders expect safety.”
d. All of the above
At many excellent HCOs, the CEO reviews the mission with all new hires. When you're
hired as a young manager, you attend with all the other hires. At the coffee break, you
hear one new hire say, "The boss really put emphasis on the mission and stuff. I wonder
if he really means it." What is your best comment?
"I'm pretty sure he does. You could ask coworkers on your team."
,You're recruiting a physician to join your HCO. She says, "The story you tell, of what
you call empowerment and continuous improvement, sounds good, and I contacted
some people I know on your clinical staff. They say very complimentary things, that your
HCO delivers, and they like practicing there. My concern is this: I'm making basically a
lifetime commitment. How do I know the HCO will continue to be cutting-edge?" You
begin, "Well, nobody can foresee the future, but..." What's the best way to complete the
sentence?
"...our record is our best argument. We've got growing market share, delighted patients,
and enthusiastic associates."
Why is a values statement important? Like the mission, many associates will assume
that it's window dressing. What does leadership need to say? "We're serious about our
values, and they are important because..."
a. “...they are a foundation for working together.”
b. “...they establish basic expectations about conduct.”
c. “...they create a more comfortable workplace.”
d. all of the above
You want to describe evidence-based management (EBM) to a group of civic leaders.
Which of the following would you start with?
"EBM replaces authority and opinion with fact."
You're part of the strategy team at a small NFP HCO with a strong patient-care mission.
The question of joining are large system comes up. One of the senior managers asks
you, "Just in general, why might we do that?" You reply, "I think the most important
reason might be..."
"The system will help us do a better job of supporting patient care."
All of the following statements about empowerment are true. Select the one most
important to convey to associates.
Empowerment gives an associate the ability to control his or her work situation in ways
consistent with the mission and values.
Interviewing for a position at Sharp Healthcare, you are asked, "Are you familiar with our
12 Behavior Standards? We want all our managers, even our beginners, to exemplify
them. Do you think you can do that?" Which is the best response?
"Yes, of course. I studied them with my class at __________. I especially like 'All For
One, One For All'" (or any other one that you remember).
You've been working for two years at an HCO that works hard at maintaining an
environment where all associates are empowered and motivated to meet their
customers' needs. A woman you knew in college moves to town. She's now an
experienced baccalaureate-prepared nurse, and she asks if she should apply to your
HCO or a competitor. You say:
, "Come here. It's a great place to give care. I can introduce you to several nurses I know
you'll like."
Orienting a group of new associates on the HCO's values, you want them to take away
all of the following points. Which one should you start with?
The values make the HCO a great place to give care.
A promising young associate, just promoted to first-line leadership, asks you, "Can you
list a few skills I should think about and work on to become a really good
transformational leader?" You begin your reply, "I think these are what you should
emphasize." Which skills do you include in your list?
a. Listening, responding, and reassuring
b. Explaining, encouraging, and rewarding
c. Creating a “blame-free” culture
d. Identifying paths to resolve issues
e. All of the above
A colleague at the HCO where you are a manager says, "Rounding takes a lot of time. I
wonder why the senior leadership team wants us to spend five hours a week at it." You
think before you answer, and conclude that your strongest response is:
"Rounding encourages workers and first-line managers to raise questions and get
answers."
As you start your internship at North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS), you know that
they emphasize "service excellence" (see exhibit 2.2). Your preceptor asks, "Do you
know why this is important?" Your best reply is, "It's because..."
"...it shows that, if all the parts of NMHS support each other, we will thrive."
Responsive or "servant" leadership emphasizes listening. Explain to your BFF or your
mom why listening by managers at all levels is important.
a. “It searches for team members’ concerns.”
b. “It shows team members that the HCO is serious about its mission.”
c. “It brings out OFIs that can be fixed.”
d. All of the above
Your preceptor says, "When I started out, it was 'command and control.' Somebody,
usually a doctor, gave an order, and everybody was supposed to jump. Now it's
'encourage, reward, and celebrate.' Does that work as well?" You respond:
"Actually, when it's combined with benchmarks and continuous improvement, it works
better than command and control."
At your interview to get employed as a manager at Atlanticare, the interviewer presses
you. "You've said you admire Atlanticare's worker empowerment. What do our leaders
