Health Services Planning
Health Services Planning provides the reader with an understanding of the key concepts related to the planning process and offers step-by-step guidelines for developing any type of plan for a community, a health system or an organization. The author addre
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Health Services Planning Second Edition
Richard K. Thomas, Ph.D.
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, BOSTON, DORDRECHT, LONDON, MOSCOW
eBook ISBN: Print ISBN:
0-306-47890-0 0-306-47804-8
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Preface to the Second Edition
When Health Services Planning was originally published in 1999, it was intended to fill a void that existed in the literature on the planning of health services. Its publication was also a response to developments in U.S. society in general and healthcare in particular that created an urgent need for the pursuit of at least some level of health planning. The 1990s had witnessed continued fragmentation of the public healthcare system and the introduction of new challenges such as the reemergence of long dormant communicable diseases. The growing number of uninsured individuals threatened to severely damage our ability to provide care. The closure of numerous hospitals and a large number of bankruptcies among healthcare organizations provided further evidence of the lack of planning for future exigencies. Since that time the situation in the United States has further deteriorated in many ways, making the need for health planning even more urgent. Serious shortcomings in the public health arena have been identified and “safety net” hospitals have increasingly lost their ability to handle the overwhelming demand for their services. The Medicaid program is facing serious challenges and the ability of Medicare to sustain itself for the long run has been questioned. Add to this the threat of bioterrorism attacks and a public health data system that is of limited effectiveness and we have a situation that is ripe for disaster. Belatedly, federal and state agencies are attempting to “plan” for the possibility of a nuclear, biological, or chemical attack, but even here the efforts are uncoordinated and lacking in consistency nationwide.
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Preface to the Second Edition
Increasingly, the success stories spawned by the U.S. healthcare “system” are offset by reports of the inefficiencies and lack of effectiveness that continue to characterize it. Much of the confusion, wheel spinning, and missteps characterizing our healthcare system can be attributed to a lack of planning both systemwide and on the part of individual organizations. In an environment that is undergoing constant evolution and experiencing rapid change on many fronts, decisionmakers require a framework for action. Without a plan in place, it is difficult if not impossible to make rational decisions. Responsible parties in both the public and private sectors have come
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