Sharp Healthcare Organizations History and Mission

Table of Contents

Introduction
Analysis
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Sharp HealthCare, a well-being maintenance provider located in San Diego, is a medical organization that includes several hospitals, medical groups, and centers. Sharp HealthCare traces its roots from the establishment of Donald N. Sharp Memorial Community Hospital, named after the young pilot from San Diego who sacrificed his life near Bonn, Germany in the time of the Second World War. His father, a businessman, to commemorate the brave deed of his son, donated a particular sum of money to San Diego Hospital Association with a wish that the newly established hospital be identified as a medical institution for serving those, who sacrificed their lives (Sharp, n.d., para. 2).

Analysis

Sharp HealthCare describes itself as a non-profit medical organization. According to the institution, it means that Sharp HealthCare contributes the money left after covering the costs such as utility bills and salaries to the improvement of human and technological resources of the organization. The medical institution differentiates itself from for-profit health providers as far as donators and investors are concerned. For example, Sharp HealthCares members of the board are the community representatives whose primary interest is the well-being of their constituents.

The structure of Sharp HealthCare incorporates five hospitals (Coronado, Grossmont, Memorial, Mesa Vista Hospital, and Mary Birth Hospital for Women and Newborns), two medical centers (Chula Vista and McDonald Medical Centers), and three medical groups (Rees-Stealy, Community, and SharpCare Medical Groups).

Sharp HealthCare has several information systems. The Laboratory Information System is represented by the services provided in various locations throughout the county via Rees-Stealy Medical Group and the laboratory services at Sharp hospitals. The system integrates all laboratories of Sharp HealthCare and provides the availability of information in different facility centers. Via Rees-Stealy Medical Group, a patient can find a provider of the laboratory services the closest to her location. This service enables test results to be available to doctors and patients.

Moreover, Sharp HealthCare has an integrated patient self-service system that helps manage such activities as paying medical bills, monitoring health records, making appointments, searching for doctors, and involvement in the healthcare classes. Therefore, patients can learn how to improve their well-being, get access to health information about their condition and treatment procedures, and manage appointments and requests for special services.

Partnership programs with other institutions allow integrating of Sharp HealthCares information systems into the networks of partner organizations. The illustration of such a process is a cooperation between the San Diego Alzheimers Disease Research Center (ADRC) and Sharp HealthCare in the implementation of the Care Transition Intervention through the reception of a Tech4Impact grant issued by the Center for Technology and Aging. Patients who require information or medical support considering their chronic conditions can use the San Diego ADRC Network of Care (NoC) website to locate services and resources, plan for their long-term care needs, and learn how to improve their health and wellbeing (The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, 2013, p. 15).

Conclusion

The necessity of information systems for Sharp HealthCare is essential considering the structure of the organization. Since the medical services provider has a vast network of hospitals, medical centers, and groups, the information system, which includes various sub-divisions, assists in the coordination of information flow, improvement of medical services, and enhancement of patients awareness about their well-being. Moreover, the integration of the patient self-service into the information system of the medical organization advances the communication between doctors and patients.