Introduction
Risk reduction is one of the four key strategies of risk management that healthcare system can implement to protect its workers. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease centers are racing against time to put up measures of mitigating the exposure of the virus to their workers. Due to COVID-19, it is important for the healthcare sector to manage the risk of spread of the disease because without taking good care of the workers, the entire institutions can stop functioning due to personnel issues. Risk reduction and reduction strategy can assist Stanford center to create conducive working environment for both its staff and patients (Rubin & Rassman, 2021). Currently, the most crucial challenge facing the healthcare workers in the center is the mutation of the virus into different forms that is worsened by the inadequate equipment to combat the pandemic (Nagesh & Chrakborty, 2020). Moreover, other challenges that increase the exposure to the disease include lack of proper medical cover, increased infection rate among staff, poor working environment, and high mortality rate of healthcare workers infected with coronavirus.
Strategy Rationale
Risk reduction and avoidance strategy is the fundamental method to protect healthcare staff from the deadly COVID-19. The absence of goodwill and proper implementation plan of the Stanford’s risk reduction and avoidance can make the frontline workers contract the virus (Rubin & Rassman, 2021). Through risk reduction and avoidance method, the firm can reduce risks that can expose staff to the disease. However, if the risks are not mitigated early, the firm may face challenges in both near and long future. The use of risk avoidance will meet the local, state and federal standards when the firm implements it well. For example, proper execution of the strategy will ensure safety to everyone, but it will also be beneficial to not only the health care workers but also the citizens at large.
Support for the Strategy
There is a need for risk reduction management initiative to support both workers and management. If these challenges are not addressed, the organization will face more risk such as the strike of health care workers, which may lead to inability to control and manage the spread of coronavirus and hence cause a high fatality rate in the country. The International Labor Organization (ILO) constitution sets the principle that workers must be protected from diseases and injury arising from their employment (Khanal et al., 2021). In this case, the organization should provide a medical cover for diseases such as COVID-19 infection for healthcare workers since they are at risk of conducting the virus directly from the patients. It is a legal obligation for the organization to make a conducive working environment for the health care workers by providing protective items including proper safe equipment and satisfactory pay.
Implementation of the Strategy
In order for this risk management plan to be effectively implemented, the organization needs to promote adherence to proper health protocols. Health practices such as minimal healthcare to patient contact is key to ensure staff do not contract the disease. In fact, fumigation will help in preventing workers from contracting the virus from infected patients while they receive treatment in the facility (Rubin & Rassman, 2021). For example, health organization should ensure that it has adequate equipment such as ventilators to make the work of healthcare workers easy. More importantly, the facility should ensure that the workers are vaccinated against the virus and offered adequate training on how to control and manage the virus.
Solutions to Challenges the Organization May Face Implementing Strategy
The organization may face certain challenges in the implementing the plan, which may affect the success of the risk management plan. First, the firm may lack adequate funds to support the plan. To solve this, the business should lobby for funds. In turn, the company can purchase the necessary equipment required by the healthcare workers and delay salaries (Jin et al., 2021). Second, there is inability to access vaccines since the manufacturers are focusing on domestic satisfaction and the vaccines are still under observation (Shubha & Chakraborty, 2021). Solution to this is to curb corruption in the healthcare sector that may hinder purchase the vaccines.
Evaluation of the Strategy
Health officers should take continuous health tests to ensure the infected are isolated and treated to avoid contacting patients and other staff. In the short term, test will make sure the sick are isolated from the rest of the team. In the long term, continuous test will ensure that contacts are traced and the spread of the virus minimized (Mason & Friese, 2020). A zero or declining rate of personnel infections shows a strategy success.
Available Opportunities to Explore
The organization should ensure that workers personnel are satisfied and happy to report to work. Employees can be satisfied when the get a chance to voice their opinions and ideas and be allowed to take part in decision-making (Yang et al., 2021). A chance to talk will make the personnel comfortable to speak about their challenges and offer solutions to the problems. The organization can also address the financial problems of the staff by giving them financial aid in form of loans that makes it easy for employee to work (Khanal et al., 2021). Moreover, the firm should offer counselling programs for the staff since they may suffer from stress and depression.
References
Jin, H., Lu, L., Liu, J., & Cui, M. (2020). COVID-19 emergencies around the globe: China’s experience in controlling COVID-19 and lessons learned. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(1), 1-5. Web.
Khanal, P., Devkota, N., Dahal, M., Paudel, K., & Joshi, D. (2021). Mental health impacts among health workers during COVID-19 in a low resource setting: A cross-sectional survey from Nepal. Globalization and Health, 16, 1-12. Web.
Mason, D., & Friese, C. (2020). Protecting health care workers against COVID-19—and being prepared for future pandemics. JAMA Health Forum, 1(3), e200353. Web.
Rubin, E., & Rassman, A. (2021). cAIR: Implementation of peer response support for frontline health care workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Work in Health Care. Advance Online Publication. Web.
Shubha, N. & Chakraborty, S. (2021). Saving the frontline health workforce amidst the COVID-19 crisis: Challenges and recommendations. Journal of Global Health, 10(1), 010345. Web.
Yang, P., Yang, G., Qi, J., Sheng, B., Yang, Y., & Zhang, S. (2021). The effect of multiple interventions to balance healthcare demand for controlling COVID-19 outbreaks: A modelling study. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-13. Web.