The ultimate purpose of a project is to improve and develop a business’ facilities, operations, or services. Developing projects to improve a business is vital because it contributes to its long-term success. In hospitals, they are essential to provide better care and treatment.
In a hospital, stakeholders exist. Stakeholders in the healthcare industry are the people sharing an interest in the decisions concerning the facility. Stakeholders’ opinions matter the most when planning or working on a hospital construction project or management changes. In short, a stakeholder affects or is affected by a project in the hospital.
Healthcare facilities implement various projects to develop patient relations, service provisions, and management operations. And when they plan those projects, they consult, discuss, and wait for their stakeholders’ approval before implementing them. In this article, let’s discover the people behind those decision-making processes regarding a hospital project.
Internal stakeholders
1 – Physicians
A hospital wouldn’t be a hospital without licensed and professional physicians. And aside from providing professional care and treatment to patients, some physicians are also part of the board members of a hospital. If a physician has a lot of accomplishments, the chances of them being board members are higher.
But even though they’re not a part of the board, physicians are part of the internal stakeholders in a hospital. Physicians play an essential role in ensuring patients in the hospital receive the care and treatment they need. They also work in controlling the costs in a healthcare facility.
2 – Hospital staff
The people working in a hospital are also part of its internal stakeholders. It includes nurses and administrative professionals behind the operations of a hospital. They’re a stakeholder because when a project happens, they’re the people who’ll adjust and experience the disadvantages and advantages of a project.
That’s why when there’s an ongoing project plan, the management would inform and brief the hospital staff regarding the possible changes they could experience once the project starts.
3 – Board members
A hospital’s board members are the people who are responsible for ensuring that the hospital is steering in the right direction. They’re the management that ensures the organization operates optimally to achieve hospital goals. And, of course, they’re part of the internal stakeholders that don’t only have an interest in hospital decisions but also make critical decisions for the better.
The board members are also responsible for legal governance relations, financial management policies, and maintaining relationships with non-profit organisations in the hospital. Being a part of the board comes with a lot of responsibilities that need action for accountability.
4 – Volunteers and donors
One of the reasons hospitals are capable of implementing costly projects is because of their volunteers and donors. And those volunteers and donors are also part of the internal stakeholders in a hospital. After all, their financial contributions, effort, and time to help a hospital provide immeasurable benefits that contribute to its success.
They are part of the internal stakeholders, for they serve and dedicate so many contributions and work to the hospital voluntarily.
External stakeholders
5 – Patients
I mentioned earlier that hospitals wouldn’t be hospitals without physicians. It’s also true that hospitals are nothing without their patients. After all, what would the purpose and goal of a hospital facility be if they don’t have patients to attend to and treat?
Patients are stakeholders because when seeking treatment in the hospital and a project is ongoing–they’re the ones who’ll experience its effects aside from its staff. In short, since they have an interest in the decisions that the management makes in the hospital, they’re external stakeholders. After all, the board members and hospital management highly value the experience and stay quality of the patients. If patients are unhappy with their experience, it could affect the image and demand of a hospital.
6 – Insurance companies
Hospitals partner with external companies, such as insurance to provide better care and service to their patients. They’re part of the external stakeholders in a hospital project because they offer financial aid to their patients, and this service demand could change when a project starts.
Insurance companies also get reimbursements for the services they provide to the hospital and its patients, making them a group of companies concerned with the purposes and goals of a hospital project.
7 – Medical equipment companies
Medical equipment companies are also external stakeholders of the institution, for they manufacture the materials and equipment that other stakeholders, such as physicians, surgeons, nurses, and medical teams use to treat their patients. Without any doubt, medical equipment companies play a critical role in hospital operations.
The hospital would rely on them to manufacture and deliver more equipment that its new health facilities would need for its upcoming projects. Hence, making them an essential external stakeholder.
8 – Pharmaceutical companies
Last but not least are pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical companies are external stakeholders for they provide the medication that physicians prescribe to their patients. Among all of the stakeholders, they’re the ones who have the least concern in a hospital project. However, that doesn’t make them less of a stakeholder.
After all, many hospitals collaborate and partner with pharmaceutical companies. And regardless of whether there is an ongoing project, they’re vital stakeholders in the health industry.
Every internal and external stakeholder matters
Each stakeholder in the hospital matters, and whether or not they realize it, their presence and role affect the goals of a hospital project. Every stakeholder is a critical factor that the management considers when planning and working on a project.
