So, I am writing my final paper for my degree in business and we had to choose a company we worked for and then come up with a new product or service. This is part one of a three part paper that will end up being well over 5000 words...yikes. Anyway, since my last employer was the Veterans Affairs (VA), i thought that it would be good to suggest an actual transgender clinic. If anyone can take a look at a VERY rough draft so far and give me some suggestions I would love it. This part of the paper is only supposed to be 1400 words or so and I am almost there... just need a few suggestions.
Assignment:
Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you explain the importance of innovation in your selected business's vision, mission, and values, and determine your business model for this new division. Include the following:
· Propose a new product or service for the new company division. The division should be customer-focused with an innovative mission statement. Ensure that you are differentiating your product or service.
· Describe how the division addresses customer needs and achieves competitive advantage.
· Create a vision and a business model for this new division that clearly demonstrates your decision on what you want your business to become in the future.
· Explain how the vision, mission, and value of the new division align with the company's mission and vision.
· Summarize how the vision, mission, and values guide the division's strategic direction.
· Define your guiding principles and values for your division in the context of culture, social responsibility, and ethics.
PAPER:
Health care is a forever changing industry and that is no different for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). As science advances, new medicine or procedures are devolved along the way that change the way medicine is practiced. Health care in America is not equal among its population, with certain minority groups receiving less than adequate care. The VHA strives to remedy this issue with veterans they service, however, there is one group of veterans who've been overlooked, the transgender veteran. This group of veterans have served the same way other veterans have served so it is time to close this gap in health care with a new clinic.
This new clinic will specialize in treating the transgender veteran, who has their own unique medical and mental health needs. The clinic will be all inclusive with its own staff trained in treating transgender patients. This would include mental health staff that would know that transgender veterans have the same issues as other veterans but also have unique issues concerning their gender dysphoria. The clinic would have its own doctors and nurses that are trained and sympathetic to transgender patients which even outside of the VHA is hard to come by. Finally the clinic services would encompass all of transgender care not just bits and pieces. The idea of the clinic would be to care for the entire veteran not just offer specific realms of care and dismiss the remaining.
There is a tremendous need for standardized health care for transgender veterans even within the VHA. There are huge gaps in what each hospital or area offers in support of their unique needs. The formation of an actual clinic would allow other VHA facilities to copy the clinic or refer the veteran to an established clinic to receive the proper treatment that they need. As it stand right now some VHA facilities will not treat transgender issues at all and then some offer a great deal of services like therapy, support groups, hormone therapy, pre and post-surgical care but the one thing that is desperately needed is actual surgical care, Currently, the VHA will not cover any surgery related to transgender care only. If the VHA would finally offer all the care it could to these transgender veterans, they could quit having to go to other countries for their care and get it totally through the VHA which is their goal.
The vision of this new clinic would follow the overall vision of the VHA using the core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence. This vision is to show the community of veterans and America, transgender men and women are a part of our society and deserve to be treated the exact same as the next person.
The Vision of the Veteran Affairs system is founded firmly within the commitment to care of veterans. Each veteran is unique, different injuries, mental and physical. Many veterans choose to live life to its fullest, whether that means going home and opening a new business, or in this case, becoming the person they've always felt they should be. The vision of this department is to encourage each veteran to be the person they are inside versus the person they feel society wants them to become. The mission of this new clinic is to grant the care that each member of the transgender veteran community may require, no matter how big or small, cosmetic or chemical. The new clinic addition would show the veteran they are valued, no matter what the majority of society may say. Equality is vital in a health care system. Creating this clinic would show the Veteran's Affairs values, respects, and advocates for every veteran under its care, not just the mainstream view society holds.
The Department of Veteran's Health Administration strives to create a health care facility that is all-encompassing. With the population's options of healthcare for the transgender community being back alley facilities, or extremely high priced doctors, and oftentimes facilities that are few and far between, the VHA creating a veteran focused transgender clinic will help direct the population of veterans who are transgender into more knowledgeable health care, and provide them with the medicines and assistance needed as the transition occurs, and after transition to assist in maintaining the mental health and physical health of the veteran. The clinic is a way to assist the VHA in maintaining its diversity of care.
The guiding principles of this clinic is to provide consistent and outstanding care which would benefit the transgender veteran without fear of discrimination or judgment. The values the Transgender Clinic will be based upon is the consistent advocacy, respect, excellence, and thorough care, no matter the situation. The culture of each community varies, the clinic will strive to create an environment that allows the individual to transition at their own pace, their own way, with respect to their specific values and beliefs and allowing the individual to seek assistance in adjusting to the culture in which he or she currently lives. The social responsibility of the clinic is to maintain the balance between the veteran and the community. The VHA system would need to determine the proper balance in care for everyone to create an equality plan for each person to receive the same healthcare as the next. Ensuring that each person is able to attain the same level of care no matter the situation is paramount for this system. The guiding principles, in regards to ethics would fall under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA). The HIPPA act was created to protect millions of working Americans and their family members with medical problems. HIPPA has multiple statutes that ensure confidentiality of patients. With health care the standard ethic line is to do no harm. At the core of health care ethics is the sense of right and wrong and the beliefs about rights individuals possess and duties an individual owes to others.
The transgender community is in desperate need of proper representation. From the negativity of memes posted on the internet, to the laws to prevent transgender men and women from entering the facilities they represent as, or have become, the transgender community needs a voice. What better place to provide that voice than directly within our U.S. Government? The Veteran Transgender Clinic will enable society to begin looking at the transgender community as a part of the world versus the belief it is a mental illness. Enabling each person to be who they are, is a part of human rights and free will. Creating this clinic will show society each person is entitled to the same care, no matter their race, creed, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or sexual identity.
