MH 609 Ashworth college Stand Alone project

STAND-ALONE PROJECT
MH609 Capstone: Health Care Politics & Policy
Stand-Alone Project: The State Director of Health Planning
(200 points)
You should begin working on the stand-alone project early in the course. Each assignment
provides a benchmark for completing the stand-alone project in a timely manner while working
through the course. You will find this information in the Stand-Alone Project Benchmark section
of each assignment.
Scenario: This “hands-on” real world project requires you to assume the newly created position
of State Director of Health Planning for your state (i.e. where you now live). As such, you report
directly to the governor regarding health policy issues. The information provided below will
assist you.
The governor hired you because of your unique combination of real-world and academic health
expertise. You have worked in both the public and private sectors, and you understand the
complex interrelationships that typify the U. S. health care system. It is widely believed that you
will give the governor the technical expertise to succeed where others have failed.
The governor has been and is under tremendous pressure from various special interest groups.
Advocates for the working poor want more comprehensive coverage. Leaders in his party are
crying out for relief from rising costs of Medicaid. Patients’ rights groups, as well as some
physicians, are complaining about “cookbook medicine” harming patients. The governor is
looking to you to help him clarify the alternatives in three (3) key areas–access, cost, and
quality–and then incorporate your recommendations into a speech to a joint legislative session
that will convene to hear his strategic policy initiatives for the next four (4) years.
Your stand-alone project responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct and
formatted in the same fashion as the project itself. If there is a Part A, your response should
identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response
and document them in a bibliography using APA style. (200 points) (A 20-page, double-spaced,
response is required.)
Part A
Analyze access to health care in your state, using the three (3) areas listed below.
Then write a report, including recommendations to the governor. Make sure that
you support your recommendations with credible sources and facts. Cite all sources
using APA style. (150 points)
1.Uninsured: First, investigate the status of care for the uninsured in your
state, using publicly available data as well as interviews with state health
officials and members of advocacy groups such as unions, welfare
departments, and poverty programs. Analyze what your state government
is currently doing to insure high-quality care for these and other
individuals and write recommendations for a future course of action.
Consider the following issues in your analysis.
a. Who are the uninsured?
b. What is the state doing to help the uninsured?
c. What can the state do to improve care for the uninsured?
2.Quality: Consider the following when addressing the quality of care.
a. Examine benchmark states, such as Hawaii, Oregon, and
Minnesota, to determine what might be done in your locality.
b. Consider whether these states are comparable to your state in
terms of population size and diversity.
c. Think of recommendations you might make to cover the most
deserving individuals at the least cost. Also, examine
accreditation and regulatory bodies that cover health
professionals and facilities. Write recommendations for what
your state should do based on the best practices in other states.
3.Medicaid: This may entail contacting various state officials, as well as
your state Medicaid agency. Using available data, determine how effective
and costly your state’s Medicaid system is versus others around the nation
and suggest governmental actions to reduce cost and improve
effectiveness. Once again, you should use publicly available data, as well
as information from Medicaid and other state agencies. Consider the
following.
a. Who is receiving Medicaid care?
b. What is the quality of care they are receiving?
c. Can the plans of dissimilar states be adapted for use in your
state? If not, why not? And what would you recommend instead?
Part B
From your report, draft a 15-20-minute speech (about five pages) for the governor
to deliver to the legislature. Emphasize only the key points that pertain to health
care in your state. Consider the following when developing your speech. (50 points)
1.The speech should be clear concerning where it is coming from (i.e., Why
are we addressing these issues?) and where it is going (i.e., What are we
going to do about the problems/opportunities?). In other words, there must
be a purpose and direction to the speech tying it to a broader vision of how
health care should be financed and delivered in the state.
2.Documentation: The speech should provide documentation supporting
positions the student advocates. For instance, if you propose Medicaid
HMOs, then the response should discuss where they have been tried and
succeeded.
3.Call to Action: The speech should be interesting and clear enough to form
the basis for new policy initiatives. For example, the facts presented must
be strong enough to convince the public and the legislature that action
must be taken and that the potential benefit outweighs the political risks.
Grading Rubric
Please refer to the rubric on the following page for the grading criteria for this assignment.
CATEGORY
Part A: Access to
Health Care (60
Points)
Exemplary
60 points
Student thoroughly
analyzes access to
health care,
including the
uninsured, quality
of care, and
Medicaid
Satisfactory
48 points
Student somewhat
thoroughly analyzes
access to health
care, including the
uninsured, quality
of care, and
Medicaid
Unsatisfactory
40 points
Student partially
analyzes access to
health care,
including the
uninsured, quality
of care, and
Medicaid
Part A:
Recommendations
(75 Points)
75 points
Student provides a
complete
recommendation
covering the three
(3) areas
60 points
Student provides a
complete
recommendation
covering two (2) of
the three (3) areas
45 points
Student provides a
complete
recommendation
covering one (1) of
the three (3) areas
Part B: Speech,
Purpose and
Direction (15
points)
15 points
Student provides a
thorough speech
clearly showing its
purpose and
direction
10 points
Student provides a
partial speech
somewhat showing
its purpose and
direction
Part B:
Documentation (15
points)
15 points
Student provides
accurate
documentation
supporting his/her
position
12 points
Student provides
a somewhat
thorough speech
showing its
purpose and
direction
12 points
Student provides
somewhat accurate
documentation
supporting his/her
position
Part B: Call to
Action (15 points)
15 points
Student’s speech is
interesting and
clear, with strong
facts to convince
the public and
legislature to take
action and that
benefit outweighs
risks
10 points
Student makes no
errors in grammar
or spelling that
12 points
Student’s speech is
interesting and
somewhat clear,
with facts to
convince the public
and legislature to
take action and that
benefit outweighs
risks
8 points
Student makes 1-2
errors in grammar
or spelling that
Mechanics Grammar,
Punctuation,
Spelling (10 Points)
Poor
28 points
Student provides a
weak or unclear
analysis of access to
health care,
including the
uninsured, quality
of care, and
Medicaid
30 points
Student provides an
incomplete
recommendation
covering at least
one (1) of the three
(3) areas
7 points
Student provides
weak and unclear
speech without
purpose or
direction
10 points
Student provides
little or mostly
inaccurate
documentation to
support his/her
position
10 points
Student’s speech is
not particularly
interesting or clear,
uses few facts, and
only somewhat
compels the public
and legislature to
take action
7 points
Student provides
inaccurate
documentation to
support his/her
position
5 points
Student makes 3-4
errors in grammar
or spelling that
2 points
Student makes
more than 4 errors
in grammar or
spelling that
7 points
Student’s speech is
uninteresting
and/or unclear,
uses few facts, and
only partially
compels the public
and legislature to
take action
Format – APA
Format, Citations,
Organization,
Transitions (10
Points)
distract the reader
from the content
distract the reader
from the content
distract the reader
from the content
distract the reader
from the content
10 points
The paper is written
in proper format.
All sources used for
quotes and facts are
credible and cited
correctly. Excellent
organization,
including a variety
of thoughtful
transitions.
8 points
The paper is written
in proper format
with only 1-2 errors.
Most sources used
for quotes and facts
are credible and
most are cited
correctly. Adequate
organization,
including a variety
of thoughtful
transitions.
5 points
The paper is written
with multiple
format errors. Some
sources used for
quotes and facts are
credible and most
are cited correctly.
Essay is poorly
organized, but may
include a few
effective
transitions.
2 points
The paper is not
written in proper
format. Sources
used for quotes and
facts are less than
credible (suspect)
and/or are not cited
correctly. Essay is
disorganized and
does not include
effective
transitions.