Environmental Scan 2020
Environmental scanning is similar to looking out and around with our eyes and taking in information that is then processed by our brain and used. Just as for human eyes, more information is available to a health care organization than can ever be used. The challenge in scanning, then, is to determine what information is relevant, to analyze and interpret it, and then apply it to the strategic planning and decision-making processes.
A good environmental scan gathers information from both the external and internal environments. The external environment is "outside" of the organization itself — and includes cultural, political and technological changes as well as demographic trends and patterns. Catholic providers need to be aware of changes within the church, of the concerns of the diocesan bishop and of the needs of the poor and underserved in the community. Outside factors with potential impact, such as developments in health reform, need to be brought from national and state levels to regional and local levels to enhance understanding of their effects on the organization.
In late 2009 and early 2010, an environmental scan for the Catholic health ministry has been developed that outlines the context, both internal and external, for developing our preferred vision of Catholic health ministry in 2020. Some interesting information specifically about Catholic health ministry included in the scan is:
- The emergence and growth of Catholic health systems over the past 50 years.
- The changes in sponsorship from single sponsors to multiple sponsors and public juridic persons (PJPs).
- The dramatic shift from religious administrators to lay leadership.
- Changes within the many ministries across the continuum of care that comprise Catholic health care.
Today, Catholic health care providers treat one in seven hospital inpatients and provide one in seven outpatient visits in the United States. Comprising roughly 13 percent of the hospitals in the United States, Catholic hospitals provide care for nearly 17 percent of the Medicare inpatients discharged across the country. Another 1,500 ministries provide care along the continuum outside of acute care hospitals. These include long-term facilities and home care, hospice and palliative care and independent living facilities. More than 200 Catholic hospitals provide inpatient psychiatric services.
The Environmental Scan 2020 presents data and information that provide context for development of a vision for Catholic health ministry that spans the next decade. It provides an overview of trends and market forces that are likely to impact Catholic health ministry in some way and are important to consider as we develop a description of the preferred future of Catholic health ministry.
Click on each of the links below to review the materials: