Leading Change throughout the Continuum of Care

Abstract

Healthcare organizations are under pressure to produce high quality outcomes while in turn, decrease costs. Because leaders within healthcare, direct care providers and policy makers are instrumental in transforming the way patient care is delivered, they must remodel care delivery to advocate on behalf of patients. Both formal and informal leaders are in a position to streamline care delivery across healthcare settings. The establishment of collaborative partnerships throughout the community to address practice differences can be effective in developing educational programs for patients and caregivers, establishing standards and guidelines in caring for multiple patient populations, and creating formal care paths to enhance care delivery. Developments in regards to transitional care practices have the potential to enhance quality outcomes and optimize healthcare spending.