AFN1 D546 Healthcare Policy and Governance Task 1 2025
Western Governors University
D546: Healthcare Policy and Governance
AFN1 Task 1: Merger Analysis
A. Challenges
One unique administrative challenge in the merger between Cedar Bend Medical Center
and Western View Children’s Hospital is aligning the leadership structures of the two
organizations. Challenges can occur when aligning Cedar Bend’s hierarchical structure with
Western View, which employs a decentralized administrative framework. The administration
can leverage a hybrid approach to combine the two leadership structures. This allows strategic
decisions to be made at a top level but allows autonomy to the other team members to make
decisions within their own domains. This fosters collaboration across the organizations but
allows one to align with the overall goals. Another significant challenge will be standardizing
policies and operations. Cedar Bend offers a broad range of services and caters primarily to an
elderly population, while Western View specializes in pediatric care. This difference will lead to a
substantial increase in the diversity of the patient population, making it essential to update
policies and operations to address the needs of all patients effectively.
Integrating Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems is one significant financial challenge
of the merger. Western View uses a cloud-based EHR system, while Cedar Bend relies on a
proprietary system. Implementing a unified EHR system across the organization will be time-
consuming and costly. Another financial challenge is reimbursement from Medicare and
Medicaid. Western View Children's Hospital is a non-profit organization in an urban area where
, many families it serves are low-income and likely depend on Medicaid, which typically
reimburses less than Medicare. Cedar Bend is a for-profit organization that depends on
government and private payers' reimbursements.
Western Governors University
D546: Healthcare Policy and Governance
AFN1 Task 1: Merger Analysis
A. Challenges
One unique administrative challenge in the merger between Cedar Bend Medical Center
and Western View Children’s Hospital is aligning the leadership structures of the two
organizations. Challenges can occur when aligning Cedar Bend’s hierarchical structure with
Western View, which employs a decentralized administrative framework. The administration
can leverage a hybrid approach to combine the two leadership structures. This allows strategic
decisions to be made at a top level but allows autonomy to the other team members to make
decisions within their own domains. This fosters collaboration across the organizations but
allows one to align with the overall goals. Another significant challenge will be standardizing
policies and operations. Cedar Bend offers a broad range of services and caters primarily to an
elderly population, while Western View specializes in pediatric care. This difference will lead to a
substantial increase in the diversity of the patient population, making it essential to update
policies and operations to address the needs of all patients effectively.
Integrating Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems is one significant financial challenge
of the merger. Western View uses a cloud-based EHR system, while Cedar Bend relies on a
proprietary system. Implementing a unified EHR system across the organization will be time-
consuming and costly. Another financial challenge is reimbursement from Medicare and
Medicaid. Western View Children's Hospital is a non-profit organization in an urban area where
, many families it serves are low-income and likely depend on Medicaid, which typically
reimburses less than Medicare. Cedar Bend is a for-profit organization that depends on
government and private payers' reimbursements.
