LeadingAge New York Adviser Fall 2015 Vol. 1 | Page 24

CONFERENCE RECAP

Great Strategy is a Win on Every Front
Based on the
conference program
entitled:

STRATEGIC
PLANNING IN
AN ERA OF
HEALTHCARE
REFORM

S

trategic thinking is as vital to gaining competitive advantage in business as it is on
the battle front. During the session, attendees learned that “strategy” is derived
from the Greek word “strategia’ defined as “the art of the troop leader; office of general,
command, generalship.” War, hence strategic thinking, is really an art and, in fact,
Scott named his company Artower based on the book The Art of War, by Sun Tzu.
According to Park, “one must think, plan and act strategically for a plan to work and
thinking strategically requires gaining a perspective that is objective relative to the
world around you. Planning strategically requires the ability to position within that
framework of objective understanding and acting strategically requires the pursuit of
initiatives leveraging the value of the position attained.”
According to Scot, there are four macro drivers for planning strategically, which include:
•

Demographic & Socioeconomic Realities: The wave of aging people
effects basic supply and demand and the new generational attitude about
cost will lead to a global revaluation within aging services.
• Healthcare Reform: The new models are integrated, transparent and will
have different reporting structures, all effecting the market position.
• Sick Care environment to a Healthcare environment: There has been
a paradigm shift in thinking and the new payers and consumers look to
health management, wellness, behavioral health, personalized care and
precision medicine.
• Technology: This is a game changer in terms of communication,
information management and care delivery. Survival will depend on being
visionary, competitive, adaptive, resilient and valuable. Value will equal
outcomes and cost.
The second half of the session featured, Mike Keenan CEO of Good Shepherd
Communities (GSC) in the greater Binghamton area. According to Keenan, the first
couple of experiences with strategic planning at GSC resulted in plans that essentially
failed because they were based on a fear-driven model as the organization attempted to
plan for significant changes in demographics and payment structure that were looming
on the horizon. As a result, the organization retained consultants and formed an initial
alliance with a health system but upon assessment it was clear that the decision was
not the best choice for satisfying the organizational vision/mission.
Subsequent strategic planning was opportunity driven and explored improvements at
the existing facility and explored the possibility of building a new facility. A consultant
was brought on to better understand the needs of Broom County’s elderly population.
The resulting plan, based on the consultant’s assessment, was to build a Continuing
(Continued on page 24)

23

Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Fall 2015