Regulatory Agencies Assignment: Pennsylvania Hospital

Regulatory Agencies
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Regulatory Agencies: Pennsylvania Hospital
Pennsylvania Hospital is a teaching and medical private hospital that is categorized as a non-profit 515-bed facility providing surgical and general medical services to the community of Pennsylvania (U.S. News and World Report, 2019). The hospital is found in Center City Philadelphia and has a close affiliation with the University of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Hospital cherishes a long history of more than two centuries when it was established as the first hospital in the U.S. in 1751 (Penn Medicine, 2019). Over the years, the hospital’s purpose has been to pioneer medical frontiers and produce innovative medical personalities who are committed to advancing the fields of medical research, patient care, and education. As such, the mission of Pennsylvania Hospital is to advance science, achieve excellent patient care, and promote the education of scientists and doctors. The goals of Pennsylvania Hospital are to ensure that the community it serves, including the underserved, have access to integrated health care of the highest quality. Additionally, the hospital aims to develop and maintain an environment of care that is supportive and responsive to the needs of the medical staff, patients, and employees. Another goal of Pennsylvania hospital is to manage its resources prudently through creativity and stewardship. The hospital also strives to foster growth and learning by establishing long-lasting educational and academic relationships (Penn Medicine, 2019).
Pennsylvania Hospital serves a large population considering that Pennsylvania is among the states ranked as most populous in the U.S. Although much of the state is rural, the biggest proportion of people (87%) lives in urban areas such as Philadelphia, Bucks, and Allegheny (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2016). In terms of ethnicity, 77% of Pennsylvanians are White, 10% are Black, and 7% are of Hispanic origin. The majority of the population (60%) are aged between 19 and 64 years with only 17% of Pennsylvanians being aged 65 years and above (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2016). Nevertheless, incidents of chronic diseases such as cancer are quite high among the population. For example, the state was ranked 7th nationally in terms of cancer prevalence in 2012. Additionally, the population served by Pennsylvania Hospital is experiencing unprecedented increase in deaths associated with substance use, as well as opioid and heroin use. In terms of health disparities and access to health care, the situation in Pennsylvania is similar to the rest of the U.S. The majority of those who experience poor or fair health status are the ethnic minorities. At the same time, more Hispanics and Blacks report having no reliable access to care than Whites (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2016).
The regulating agencies which oversee Pennsylvania Hospital include Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO). The role of a regulatory agency in health care is important because there are many regulations governing the health care industry that need to be enforced and monitored...