Scottsdale Medical Imaging Internal Environmental Analysis

Scottsdale Medical Imaging has been providing medical imaging services in and around Arizona for many years with great results. A hospital's effectiveness can be due to well-established internal organizational processes (Grant, 2016). Changes in technologies also raised the scope of emerging medical imaging risks, as have the ever-changing legal challenges governing the ethical industry. These are only a few of the major issues that the hospital must cope with. This paper intends to analyze these internal causes and make suggestions for potential changes. An assessment of the organization's internal environment shows that Scottsdale Medical Imaging has many employees who form an important part of the internal operational structures. The medical staffs that specialize in medical imaging services constitute an important component of the workforce (SMI, 2017). The medical staff of the hospital consists of a specialist in spine scans, brain scans, neck scans, breast scans, chest scans, abdomen scans, heart scans, bone scans, reproductive scans, nuclear scans and vein scans. The management of a hospital also plays a big role in the running of the hospital (Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2015). There are some support staff within the organization who also run other departments which are for supporting the core function of medical service provision.
The management and leadership structure of Scottsdale Medical Imaging also forms a part of its internal environment. The hospital is governed by a team of competent and qualified personnel who are responsible for making major corporate and long term decisions of the facility. All the radiology departments are headed by well-experienced staff who offer direction to concerning the operations of those departments (SMI, 2017). The hospital is also run by administrative leaders that are in charge of the general functioning of the hospital and the management of financial matters.
The corporate culture of Scottsdale Medical Imaging has been critical in enhancing its internal progression. The hospital has a set of values that aim at providing the best service to the client who visits the hospital. The values of an organization are intended to enhancing the best professional standards by the medical and non-medical staff of the hospital (Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2015). Scottsdale Medical Imaging also has a clear vision which forms part of its culture. The vision statement of the hospital is to be nationally recognized as a premier provider of service-oriented patient care using medical imaging, image-guided intervention, and state of the art technology.
Healthcare program delivery of the hospital which seeks to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction is also an important part of the firm’s internal environment. Scottsdale Medical Imaging majorly specializes in imaging services and provides some scans to its patients. The patients can have ease of accessing medical services by making online appointments which save on their time while going to the hospital to get treatment appointments (SMI, 2017). The service delivery has also been structured to enhance affordability while still maintaining the highest standards of service.
Regarding the strengths of Scottsdale Medical Imaging, the organization heavily relies on its competent and qualified staff to stand out in the field of medical imaging. The workers that have undergone vigorous training and have acquired many years of experience provide some of the best services to the patients. The team of professionals is responsible for the high levels of confidence and trust that the members of the general public have over the years developed towards service provision at the hospital. Scottsdale Medical Imaging also heavily relies on its equipment which is some of the best in conducting medical imaging. The equipment ranges from mammograms, CTs, MRI, DEXA, Ultrasound and X-ray machines (SMI, 2017). The machines have qualified operators who have the knowledge of operating them. The devices are also connected to computer systems which enhance instantaneous interpretation of results for ease in patient treatment.
Despite the strengths, the firm also faces some weaknesses. Even though Scottsdale Medical Imaging has numerous income proceeds that it draws every year, is faced with so much cash management problems. The hospital has in the past face incidences of loss of money through online transactions and in the process of making money transfers (SMI, 2017). Part of the hospital staff has also been involved in aiding and colluding with suppliers of medical equipment in stealing the hospital money. The hospital has also had lapses in the process of planning on how it should spend the revenues that it generates from offering medical imaging services.
Significantly, internal environmental factors that enable the success of the organization in general include the operational structure consisting of the workforce, the management team and the equipment which is essential in enhancing an active and efficient operation in the hospital. The internal factors of a hospital are always made even strong through the internal strategies that the hospital has put in place (Hamilton & Webster, 2012). The hospital management has reward schemes which it presents to its workforce as a result of good performance. The hospital also invests in modern and technology-assisted equipment to enhance efficient service delivery. The hospital set up and the general outlook structure is one of the factors that make it stand out from other industrial players. Since the hospital seeks to eliminate competition, it has put in place state of the art structures which include the medical structures, medical equipment, and staff (SMI, 2017). The hospital has also distinguished itself from other industrial players by only specializing in medical imaging.
In conducting its external analysis, the firm identified various gaps in the medical imaging and has thus continually improved its internal operations to breach the gap in the specific areas. The differences include the problems that were identified include the use of outdated medical imaging equipment and lack of adequate qualified personnel who can handle medical imaging related issues satisfactorily (SMI, 2017). Recently there has been an increase in the number of patients who require specialized imaging services. It is from this background that the hospital has continually provided the so much needed service. The hospital provides services to so many people who now find it easy, convenient and relatively affordable to acquire such services.
Competitor analysis of the Scottsdale Medical Imaging illustrates that the hospital still faces so much competition from other industrial players. Within Arizona alone, there have emerged many smaller hospitals that apart from offering general medical services still provide imaging services (Harrison, 2013). Some of the major competitors include University of Arizona Medical Centre and EVDI Medical Imaging. Some patients would, therefore, prefer to have all the medical services at a central point. The issue of pricing also affects the competitive position of a hospital (Harrison, 2013). The hospital charges relatively higher prices as compared to other industrial players due to the highly specialized treatment and care that they offer. The high price charge could also be attributed to the need to pay the highly qualified and specialized staff that the hospital has employed (SMI, 2017). Other hospitals which also operate in the same region offer medical imaging services at a relatively lower price. It is from this background that most people would opt to get their medical imaging health-related problems at other hospitals other than Scottsdale Medical Imaging.
The organization structure of Scottsdale Medical Imaging influences the hospital in several ways. It has a management structure which consists of the general manager of the facility. The hospital also has several departments which are headed by various departmental heads. The general staff consisting of medical imaging consultants, equipment operators, and the general staff also form an important part of the organizational structure. The structure is critical in ensuring the continuity of service delivery to the patients (Harrison, 2013). The division of roles is critical in ensuring all the hospital functions run smoothly and concurrently. Each person within the organizational structure has pacifically assigned duties and tasks which they must perform within a specified timelines. Whenever a person fails to accomplish their roles as required, there will always be consequences. The structure further ensures the workforce is organized with each having their roles specially lined out for efficient delivery. Further, the structure also helps in giving a clear line of authority and responsibility.
Scottsdale Medical Imaging has established its footprints in the field of medical imaging, especially in Arizona where it is keen on creating a robust competitive position. It has identified itself as a high-quality service provider that also targets those who want specialized treatment, the fact that has seen it out-match its competitors such as The University of Arizona Medical Centre and EVDI Medical Imaging regarding revenues. The facility has over the years grew to its status due to some factors. The management structure that has been put in place has ensured quality provision of professional medical imaging services. According to Harrison, (2013), the medical and other staff of the firm has also continually provided professional service which has enhanced customer satisfaction over the years.
By being a leader in the medical imaging field, Scottsdale Medical Imaging has continually attracted a large customer base. Most patients who have health imaging-related problems will always seek for the state of the art services that are provided by the hospital (SMI, 2017). Also, the qualified staff also acts as an incentive for patients to seek services at the hospital facility. Moreover, the excellent customer service and the enhancement of technology through online booking appointments have also increased the scope of patients who seek services at the hospital facility.
Overall, the assessment of the internal environment of Scottsdale Medical Imaging reveals the composition of qualified employees, good leadership structure, functional corporate structure and a good system of service delivery. The hospital relies on its staff and highly specialized equipment as its source of strength. By specializing only in medical imaging services, the hospital has managed to provide the highest standards of medical care and thus attracted a large number of patients across Arizona.










2nd Essay
Strategic Evaluation and Recommendation
Scottsdale Medical Imaging has put in place a robust operational strategy to enhance its efficient operations. Through this approach, the hospital seeks to put into implementation the long term and short term objectives of expansion and effective service delivery that it has set (SMI, 2017). In order to make these achievements, the hospital is seeking to increase its technological capability, improve its service delivery processes and continually not the only train and equip its personnel, but also employ more medical imaging professionals.
Scottsdale Medical Imaging can implement cost leadership as a business strategy. Under this platform, the hospital can capture the whole market by having a uniform and acceptable price charge for the clients. The hospital can also monitor the pricing models of other industrial players and put in place an average price charge which can still enable it to have healthy profit margins (Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2015). In enhancing affordable medical care, Scottsdale Medical Imaging will have an enormous pool of patients who seek services at the facility
Scottsdale Medical Imaging can also explore differentiation as a means of successfully remaining stable in the medical imaging service industry. Though the hospital facility has examined this strategy by offering unique health care services, there remain numerous opportunities in the market that can still be harnessed. The hospital can still invest in buying the latest models of medical imaging equipment which makes treatment easy and quicker (Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2015). The hospital can also differentiate its services by continually sourcing for some of the very best medical imaging professional in the market.
The hospital facility has also implemented focus as a business level strategy, but there still is need to explore widely to maximize on this platform. A medical imaging hospital needs to continually provide quality service and high standards of professionalism (Grant, 2016). There is also the need to include specialized consultancy services and medical research in medical imaging by the hospital. The hospital should also take advantage of its specialization to come up with more innovative and simple ways of dealing with some of the challenges that are faced by patients and medical staff.
Scottsdale Medical Imaging has also put in place a business strategy for enhancing the operation of the hospital in the market to overcome competition in the industry. By seeking to improve this strategy, the hospital established itself at the centrally placed location where it can have access to its customer base (SMI, 2017). The hospital implements this strategy by targeting the middle class who form the majority of the population and can easily afford to raise finances for treatment at the hospital
Concerning the potential corporate level strategies, Scottsdale Medical Imaging has a robust growth strategy which it seeks to use to move to a higher level regarding the general business operations. In achieving growth, a hospital has to continuously continue to invest resources in developing its capacity to handle more patients at the same time (Grant, 2016). The expansion program also covers the steps of the hospital to increase the number of medical staff to handle a large number of patients that visit the hospital. Diversity inclusion has also been adopted by the hospital as a corporate level strategy. The hospital through its programs recognizes the need to accommodate the various cultures, religious belief and have an equal platform for people to express themselves equally. The staffs are allowed to follow their own political, social and religious convictions without being compromised. The facility does not also discriminate patients based on their beliefs and background (Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2015). Scottsdale Medical Imaging has also enhanced value creation through its service with the aim of achieving the overall growth of the firm.
Apart from the business level and the corporate level strategies, the hospital could also employ global strategies. Business adaptation by Scottsdale Medical Imaging can be adopted in case the hospital would wish to explore international markets. Different countries have different cultural, social, economic and topographical adaptation. Therefore, there is the need to first conduct a research and find out whether the hospital services can easily be acceptable in new markets. The hospital must also access to find out if the profit margin prospects within the international markets can be sustainable. Service standardization is also a factor that can be considered by the hospital in assessing the potential in its global strategy. Medical practice, especially imaging, has a set of standard that is followed all over the world. Despite the existing standards, the hospital still needs to come up with specific areas which will enhance to accommodate the small challenges such as the use of equipment.
From the potential strategies, Scottsdale Medical Imaging should consider implementing cost leadership to enhance the competitive advantage of the hospital. As a result of the ever increasing competition in the medical imaging industry, the firm is likely to be left out as a consequence of the higher prices that it charges for its services. The company should come up with a standard price after carrying out an analysis of the market pricing trends. The price should not, however, adversely affect the profit margins of the hospital. Additionally, the firm needs to explore the foreign market and determine whether it can offer its services (Nolden et. al., 2017). It should consider the already developed countries such as UK and Australia where it will find the right infrastructure and well trained medical practitioners. Therefore, it needs to first conduct a fact finding research and determine the level of competition and the culture of the place. In fact, knowing the culture of the potential oversea markets will help the management to plan on how to enter and adopt in the region. Nevertheless, the main aim of going international should remain the increase of profitability by acquiring sustainable number of customers.
Evidently, there are several potential business level, corporate level, and global strategies that Scottsdale Medical Imaging could explore so as to increase its profitability and enhanced service delivery. The hospital can implement cost leadership as a business strategy. Also, it can explore differentiation as a means of successfully remaining stable in the medical imaging service industry. There is also the need for the enhancement of the focus business level strategies that already exist. Concerning the potential corporate level strategies, Scottsdale Medical Imaging has a robust growth strategy which it seeks to use to move to a higher level regarding the general business operations. In achieving growth, a hospital has to continuously continue to invest resources in developing its capacity to handle more patients at the same time. It should also increase the number of medical staff to handle a large number of patients that visit the hospital. The hospital could also employ global strategies that include adaptation approaches when exploring the international markets. Service standardization is also a factor that can be considered by the hospital in assessing the potential in its global strategy. From the potential strategies, Scottsdale Medical Imaging should consider implementing cost leadership and conducting a fact finding research and determine the level of competition and the culture of the international regions for possible adaptations.




References
Fleisher, C. S., & Bensoussan, B. E. (2015). Business and competitive analysis: effective application of new and classic methods. Oxford. FT Press.
Grant, R. M. (2016). Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley & Sons.
Hamilton, L., & Webster, P. (2012). The international business environment. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Harrison, A. L. (2013). Business environment in a global context. Oxford : Oxford University Press
Nolden, M., Zelzer, S., Seitel, A., Wald, D., Müller, M., Franz, A. M., & Maier-Hein, K. H. (2013). The medical imaging interaction toolkit: challenges and advances. International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery, 8(4), 607-620.
SMI (2017). Diagnostic Imaging: The key piece. Retrieved on 20th April, 2017 https://www.esmil.com/