Banner Health's Involvement in Healthcare Professionals' Education

Banner Health's Involvement in Healthcare Professionals' Education
In the next decade, American healthcare organizations will need to adjust to meet the healthcare needs of an aging population. It is projected that by 2040, 21.6% of the American population will comprise older adults aged 65 years and above (Administration for Community Living (ACL), 2021). This group of Americans will be in higher demand for healthcare because of the increased risk of developing chronic conditions and disabilities. Yet, Fulmer et al. (2021) reveal that the American healthcare system is unprepared to address these complexities among a racially/ethnically diverse patient population. In addition, the increasing demand for healthcare by an aging population will outweigh the supply of healthcare professionals because the healthcare workforce is also aging (Boyle, 2021). This will negatively impact healthcare organizations' ability to meet Americans' healthcare needs in the next decade. This paper aims to evaluate Banner Health's overall readiness to address Americans' needs in the next decade, given the above-anticipated changes in the older population.
Banner Health: Organization Description
Banner Health is a not-for-profit healthcare organization headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona that spans six states: Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada, Nebraska, and Wyoming (Banner Health, 2021). Its mission is “making health care easier, so life can be better.” Over the years, Banner health has grown to be one of the leading healthcare networks, providing health care to patients at all life stages. It employs over 50,000 employees and has 30 acute-care hospitals. It offers specialized services for children as well as chronic services affecting older adults (Banner Health, 2021). It also provides primary care, hospice, rehabilitation services, and long-term care (Banner Health, 2021).
The hospital has also paid particular attention to healthy aging by providing comprehensive healthcare services to older adults. It provides preventative care and screening services for older adults and primary care to address health concerns associated with old age. Banner Health also invests in the education of healthcare professionals through its community benefit initiative. It also has a teaching hospital that provides learning opportunities for healthcare students in preparation for the changing needs of patients (Banner Health, 2021).
Overall Readiness
Based on the services offered by Banner Health and its efforts toward promoting healthy aging, it is safe to say that the organization is somewhat ready to address the healthcare needs of American citizens in the next decade. It has invested in promoting healthy aging by providing comprehensive care to older adults. To this end, it established the Center for Healthy Aging, specializing in geriatric medicine (Banner Health, n.d.a). It addresses geriatric issues such as falls, delirium, functional decline, and self-neglect, among others. Also, the organization understands that its patients are diverse and, as such, promotes cultural competency among its staff, members, and provider network (Banner Health, n.d.b). Helbig (2018) states that organizational readiness for a multicultural patient population must b...