Nursing Assignment: Analysis of Vanguard Healthcare Services

This nursing assignment report provides an overview of Vanguard Healthcare, a private healthcare provider in the United States. It begins with an introduction to the healthcare landscape and the preference for private healthcare systems. The report then delves into Vanguard's values, services, and facilities, highlighting its focus on patient care outside of hospitals, including pain management, speech therapy, and wound care. The report also examines Vanguard's vision for the next decade, emphasizing the importance of technology, sustainable management practices, and customer satisfaction. A strategic plan is proposed to enhance customer satisfaction, including expanding the network, utilizing technology, and forming partnerships. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for cost-effective, comprehensive healthcare plans and efficient management to meet future demands. References to relevant articles and resources are included to support the analysis.

Nursing Assignment 1
Nursing Assignment
Student's Name:
Instructor's Name:
Date:

Nursing Assignment 2
Introduction:
Healthcare is one of the basic necessities of any country, and also a major investment. While the
State sponsored health care in the United States, such as Medicaid, caters to one third of the
population, a huge chunk goes to the private healthcare systems to cater to their requirements. It
is noted that a whooping 64% of the population prefers private Medicare systems, such as
Vanguard or United Health care, for their health insurance and well-being (Blumenthal, 2012).
Let us look at one such example of private medical care, Vanguard, to understand their policies,
and strategies to serve the patients better, and also what they can do further to ensure
uninterrupted care in the coming decade.
Vanguard Overview:
With values of life, integrity, growth and excellence, Vanguard health care aims at providing
excellent healthcare and rehabilitation services to the patients with different needs (Vanguard-
about). Headquartered in Brentwoon, Tenn, Vanguard has, thus, in place several facilities all
around the country, and is heading towards digitalizing operations to make it more effective. One
of the advantages that Vanguard offers is a centralized booking facility that can help patients
identify a nearest center (in proximity to their home and which caters to their needs and illness)
and book themselves for a long-term or short-term care.
The health care services and nursing care provided by Vanguard aims at giving patient care
outside hospital. Since long term hospitalization may prove to be strenuous, and also monetarily
taxing, Vanguard provides out of the hospital nursing facilities, where patients can relax and
rejuvenate in a stress-free environment (Vanguard health care services). The health care provider

Nursing Assignment 3
also offer separate services, including pain management, speech therapy, wound care, among the
other facilities.
Vanguard has also invested heavily in the pharmaceutical sector, and in medical equipments,
making it, thus a comprehensive package for their customers. With Vanguard mutual health care
funds doing well for the past 5 years, and patients happy with the facilities provided, the
healthcare organization is well prepared for the changes that might come in the next decades.
Vision for the next decade:
As of now, what Vanguard is doing (with its select centers in four states) is providing excellent
nursing, physician and other medical services to those who want to recuperate in peace. The use
of technology to enhance their performance has definitely been a plus point in their favor.
Another major advantage is the glowing accolades that the patients and past customers seem to
provide (Vanguard healthcare Services) regarding their employees and facilities. With the
availability of all instruments, and medical supplies as well as experts on hand, and the freedom
to pick a center nearer to home, it can still make quite a difference in the coming decade.
With lesser time for the young generation, and no proper care at home for the elders, the services
offered by Vanguard facilities may prove to be highly useful.
Also is the fact that today, health care is moving towards sustainable management practices to
alter the habits and inculcate good nutrition among the masses. One of the examples is of
Vanguard hosting farmers and engaging doctors to promote healthy food practices (Rich, 2017).
With the sustainable food practices (by avoiding sugary and sweetened drinks, and serving good
food in the cafeteria – after all, good practices begins at home), the Vanguard health care seems
to be heading towards a promising start for a healthy decade.

Nursing Assignment 4
With an asset holding of $48.50 billions, mostly invested in pharmaceuticals and medical
equipments and technology, Vanguard mutual funds and health care plans are doing well in the
market (Vanguard Healthcare fund) This, combined with the fact that as the population ages,
there will be an increase in healthcare demands, only accentuates the opportunities of Vanguard
as a primary player in the health care sector.
Strategic Plan for enhancing customer satisfaction:
As the experts predict, what the healthcare requires is to start working on the ‘prevention’ part
apart from rehabilitation (Blumenthal, 2012) and also on sustainable management of food (at a
larger level, may be in their health care centers) to make it a permanent change.
As a healthcare organization, with centers in four States, and also with their motivation to bring
changes in the eating habits (through sustainable management at ground level), (Rich, 2017).
Vanguard can look towards increasing their network. Thanks to the technology today, and also
the centralized booking facilities, Vanguard can, with the help of mobile apps and online
booking facilities, manage and monitor centers all through the United States. Experts predict that
over the next decade, the healthcare will move from hospital and clinics to homes and
communities. The technology can act as a helping tool to bring medical facilities at home
(Phelps, et.al., 2017).
One of the major challenges is the availability of good employees – nurses, physicians, other
ancillary workers, and so on. Here again, Vanguard can go in for a partnership with hospitals and
clinics in the areas where it plans to open new facilities, and can share resources (employees,
medical facilities, lab, and so on). This can not only help increase the network of this healthcare
organization, but also can help them reach every corner of the US, and beyond. With the

Nursing Assignment 5
prediction for the next decade coming up with group care options (rather than only physicians, a
group of physicians, nurse practitioners and other faculties), Vanguard may look at opportunities
to form sustainable and lucrative partnerships.
Also, patients today (and the next decade), is going to be smarter, with their options and thus,
will look for ‘more for less’ options in health care (Phelps, et.al., 2017). Hence, Vanguard can
look towards providing comprehensive and customized healthcare plans to attract customers.
Conclusion:
A lot more changes are expected in the coming decade, with customers becoming more
demanding and knowledgeable, and also with medical innovations. Hence, what experts advise is
to provide a package that is irresistible, and also cost-effective. Providing immediate results in
terms of package claims, and admissions, value based payment models (Philips, 2015) and good
management in terms of workforce, can help sustain the pressure of the coming years.

Nursing Assignment 6
References
Andrus, D. (2017). Vanguard Announces Location for New Innovation Center: Tech Roundup.
Retrieved from http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2017/02/09/vanguard-announces-location-
for-new-innovation-cen. [Accessed on 12th Aug 2017].
Blumenthal, M. S. (2012). Healing America's Health Care System. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-blumenthal/affordable-care-act_b_1737731.html
[Accessed on 12th Aug 2017].
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (2017). LSUhealthNO research to improve
resilience to disasters in Louisiana. Retrieved from
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-07/lsuh-lrt071817.php [Accessed on 12th
Aug 2017].
Phelps, M. & Phillips LLP. (2013). 10 Megatrends Shaping Healthcare. Retrieved from
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=752a99bf-f211-49c7-b1d3-
4c84bc122c93 [Accessed on 12th Aug 2017].
Philips, L. (2015). What Will Health Care Look Like in 5-15 Years? Retrieved from
http://www.hfma.org/Leadership/EBulletins/2015/April/What_Will_Health_Care_Look_
Like_in_5-15_Years_/ [Accessed on 12th Aug 2017].
Rich, C.R., Singleton, J. K., & Wadhwa, S.S. (2017). Sustainability for Healthcare Management:
A Leadership Imperative. Routledge, UK.
Vanguard Healthcare Services. (2012.). Retrieved from http://www.vanguardhc.com/about/
[Accessed on 12th Aug 2017].

Nursing Assignment 7
Vanguard Healthcare Services. (2012.). Retrieved from
http://www.vanguardhc.com/patients_families/ [Accessed on 12th Aug 2017].
Vanguard healthcare fund. (2017). Retrieved from https://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-
funds/health/vanguard-health-care-fund/vghcx [Accessed on 12th Aug 2017].