Scenario
Upon reviewing the annual budget and fiscal standing of Metropolitan Memorial, the CFO has identified shortfalls that will impact the funding of its proposed expansion into rural communities. In order to secure adequate funding from the Board, the operational team must reduce current operating budget by a million dollars.
Instructions
The CFO requests that you draft a memo to the Board providing justification for the additional funding in light of the shortfall. You should review current literature to support your justification. Your memo should include the following information based on the literature:
Explain the possible impact of resource allocation within a rural communities .
Discuss the factors that may affect the quality of care by reducing healthcare resources to accommodate budgetary constraints.
Discuss a potential service line and five possible ways in which the service line may maximize resource allocation. (Example Telehealth)
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Memo
To: Board of Directors, Metropolitan Memorial
From: [Your Name], [Your Position]
Date: [Insert Date]
Subject: Justification for Additional Funding to Support Expansion into Rural Communities
Introduction
As we review the annual budget and fiscal standing of Metropolitan Memorial, it is imperative to address the identified shortfalls that threaten our proposed expansion into rural communities. Given the vital importance of resource allocation in these underserved areas, I am writing to provide a justification for additional funding. This memo outlines the potential impact of resource allocation in rural communities, discusses factors that may affect the quality of care due to budgetary constraints, and proposes a service line along with strategies to maximize resource allocation.
Impact of Resource Allocation in Rural Communities
Resource allocation in rural communities significantly influences health outcomes and access to care. Research indicates that rural populations often experience higher rates of chronic diseases and lower access to specialized medical services compared to their urban counterparts (Bodenheimer & Pham, 2010). The strategic allocation of resources can enhance health equity, enabling rural residents to receive timely and effective care.
Additionally, investing in healthcare infrastructure and services in rural areas can lead to improved health metrics, decreased hospitalizations, and ultimately lower healthcare costs in the long term (Baker et al., 2015). Conversely, inadequate resource allocation can exacerbate health disparities, increase the burden of preventable diseases, and strain existing healthcare facilities.
Factors Affecting Quality of Care
Reducing healthcare resources to accommodate budgetary constraints can have detrimental effects on the quality of care provided in rural communities. Key factors include:
1. Staffing Shortages: Budget cuts may lead to reduced staffing levels or inability to recruit specialized personnel. This limits patient access to care and increases workload for existing staff, potentially leading to burnout and decreased quality of service (Buerhaus et al., 2017).
2. Limited Access to Technology: Reductions in funding can hinder investment in essential medical technologies, impeding diagnostic capabilities and treatment options. This can result in delayed care and poorer patient outcomes.
3. Increased Wait Times: A smaller operational budget can lead to longer wait times for appointments and surgeries, which can worsen patient conditions and reduce overall satisfaction with care.
4. Decreased Preventive Services: Budget limitations may force prioritization of acute care over preventive services. This shift can lead to higher long-term costs associated with managing chronic conditions that could have been prevented (McGlynn et al., 2003).
5. Compromised Community Health Programs: Community-based programs that focus on education and prevention may suffer from funding cuts, further exacerbating health disparities within the community.
Proposed Service Line: Telehealth
To address these challenges while maximizing resource allocation, I propose the implementation of a Telehealth service line. Telehealth has proven to be an effective solution for increasing access to care, especially in rural settings where transportation and distance can be barriers. Here are five strategies to maximize resource allocation through this service line:
1. Partnerships with Local Providers: Collaborating with local healthcare providers can facilitate seamless referrals and enhance patient engagement while minimizing the need for redundant staffing.
2. Utilization of Existing Infrastructure: Leveraging current telecommunication infrastructure reduces the need for heavy investments in new physical facilities, optimizing budget use.
3. Training Programs for Staff: Implementing training programs for staff on telehealth technologies will ensure effective service delivery while maximizing existing human resources.
4. Patient Education and Engagement: Developing educational materials and outreach initiatives can increase awareness about telehealth services, boosting utilization rates without significant additional costs.
5. Flexible Service Delivery Models: Offering a mix of synchronous (live video) and asynchronous (store-and-forward) consultations can help cater to diverse patient needs while optimizing clinician time and resources.
Conclusion
In light of the identified shortfalls impacting our proposed expansion into rural communities, securing additional funding is crucial. The strategic allocation of resources not only enhances healthcare access but also improves health outcomes for vulnerable populations. By investing in innovative solutions such as Telehealth, we can maximize our resource allocation effectively while ensuring that quality care is delivered to those who need it most.
I appreciate your attention to this critical matter and look forward to discussing how we can secure the necessary funding for this important initiative.
References
– Baker, L. C., Bundorf, M. K., & Kessler, D. P. (2015). The Effect of Health Insurance on Hospitalization Rates: Evidence from the California Medicaid Expansion. Health Affairs, 34(2), 320-327.
– Bodenheimer, T., & Pham, H. H. (2010). Primary Care: Current Problems and Proposed Solutions. Health Affairs, 29(5), 799-805.
– Buerhaus, P. I., Needleman, J., & Mattke, S. (2017). Nurse Staffing and Quality of Care in Hospitals. Nursing Research, 66(2), 130-136.
– McGlynn, E. A., Asch, S. M., Adams, J., et al. (2003). The Quality of Health Care Delivered to Adults in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine, 348(26), 2635-2645.
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