TRS 201: FAITH SEEKING UNDERSTANDING

GUIDELINES FOR BOOK REVIEWS

Stylistic and Other Requirements

1)Bibliographical information should head the first page of the review according to the following format:

SHARING IN CHRIST’S VIRTUES: FOR A RENEWAL OF MORAL THEOLOGY IN LIGHT OF VERITATIS SPLENDOR.By Livio Melina. Trans. William E. May. Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2001.Pp x + 211.

2)The body of the review should not exceed 525 words.

3)Reviewers should give their name and location (institution and/or city) at the end of the review.

4) Please indicate the total word count for the body of the review (i.e., everything except bibliographical information, name and institution).

5)When running off book reviews make one copy for the instructor and post an electronic copy on the course Bb site (in the Discussion Board section) for access by other members of the course.

Additional Guidelines/Suggestions

1)Page numbers may be cited in parentheses if you use direct quotations from the text.

2) Typical format:

First paragraph: give the context.Who is the author debating with?What studies have preceded it?What are the theological or other issues which the book seeks to address?Does the book serve to advance scholarship?

Second paragraph:Describe the thesis of the book–in the light of the preceding paragraph.

Third paragraph:Describe briefly the structure or contents of the book–i.e. try to show the logical development of the thesis in the structure of the text.If the book does not have a thesis or does not hang together this is a point for criticism.

3)What kinds of sources are used?What is the principle which guides their selection?

4)Look for pertinent ideas or themes which run throughout the text.

5)Identify the strengths of the text.Identify its weaknesses.

6)Do you recommend it or not?and if you recommend it, for whom? for what purpose? at what level (introductory or research)?

7)Does it have an index?(i.e., can it be easily used as a resource–librarians in particular like to know this).

8)Examples of proper style and format may be found by consulting the reviews in Theological Studies.

The instructor will provide a list of books from which students may choose.Titles not on the list are welcome but should be approved by the instructor before work begins.It is recommended but not required that students choose a book pertaining to the topic on which they intend to write their paper.The book could then be one of the three required theological sources.

Due date: March 16

Completion of this assignment is intended to result in the following Student Learning Outcomes:

• Interpret theological texts of different eras and genres with care and precision
• Express theological ideas and arguments clearly in writing.
• Utilize scholarly tools effectively for continued learning in the discipline of theology.

Effective leaders in a learning organization are able to recognize the enormous potential in their work force. Without this realization, the organization may very well be at risk. This assignment will look at effective leadership qualities and the impacts of leaders’ decisions on the organization.

General Requirements:

Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:

* Write a 1,000-1,250-word paper that addresses the importance of effective leadership within the learning organization. Address the following in your paper:

1. Discuss the qualities of an effective leader in a learning organization.

2. Analyze the leadership strategies that ensure positive outcomes.

3. Explain the qualities a leader exhibits that may hinder the learning process.

4. Discuss the role of ethics in the decision-making process.

5. Identify ways an organization is affected when its leader does not make decisions using a systems perspective.

1. Using your previous MBA coursework, make changes to your business implementation plan and audiovisual presentation according to earlier instructor feedback. Then submit the complete project including Capstone Component 1: Business Implementation Plan and Capstone Component 2: Audiovisual Presentation. Be sure to include your executive summary, which was not covered in the milestones. These should be complete, polished artifacts containing all of the critical elements of the capstone project. They should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course.

   Note: For grading purposes, the two components of the capstone project operate together to comprise the whole capstone experience and are not assessed separately. You will be evaluated on both as a unit in determining whether you have demonstrated proficiency in each outcome. Your work is expected to meet the highest professional standards.

   For additional details, please refer to the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric document in the Assignment Guidelines and Rubrics section of the course.

3. By submitting this paper, you agree: (1) that you are submitting your paper to be used and stored as part of the SafeAssign™ services in accordance with the Blackboard Privacy Policy; (2) that your institution may use your paper in accordance with your institution’s policies; and (3) that your use of SafeAssign will be without recourse against Blackboard Inc. and its affiliates.
4. Institution Release Statement
5. I understand that SafeAssign will check this assignment against several databases for original content and that it will produce an originality report which my instructor and I can view. This report will show how my paper compares to documents available on the Internet, in many print journals, a database of other papers submitted by SNHU students, as well as a Global Database of papers submitted by all users of SafeAssign at other schools.I understand that SafeAssign will add my paper to the SNHU SafeAssign database for comparison of future papers against my work. I also understand that if I select I agree to submit my paper to the Global Reference Database below, I am agreeing to have my paper stored in a Global Database of submission so that my work will be used to compare future work of myself and other students who use the SafeAssign system. I understand that submitting my paper to the Global Database is completely voluntary. I maintain ownership of the original intellectual property created, but this document must remain a part of the SafeAssign Institutional and Global Databases.

Middleville Regional Health Care is one (1) of three (3) hospitals serving a community of 350,000 people. Summary statistics on Middleville and its competitors, from the AHA Guide, are shown below in Table 1. All three organizations are not-for-profit.

Table 1: Middleville, Brierfield, and Greystone Health Care Systems

The governing board of Middleville hired a consulting company to evaluate its strategic performance, specifically in the areas of Human Resources, Information Technology, Financing, and Marketing. As part of the consultant’s evaluation, several leaders of Middleville’s units were asked their perspective of the organization’s performance.

You are working for the consultant. Your job is to identify the issues from the response that should be considered further by the consultant team and possibly discussed with the governing board and the CEO. The firm has a rule, “Never offer a criticism or negative finding without suggesting how the client organization can correct it,” so you must indicate what sort of correction you would recommend as part of your list. Because you know there were about two (2) dozen other interviews, you decide you should rank your issues in importance, to make sure the most critical are discussed.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Explain the governing board’s role in these strategic initiatives, determining its responsibility and involvement.
2. Evidence-based management means that operational and strategic decisions are made based upon the evidence that goals and objectives are actually being met. Quantitative measurements must be identified and measured. This data is then used to evaluate the HCO’s performance. Name three (3) performances Middleville can use to measure its success in providing quality healthcare to the community, and identify quantifiable, measureable indicators that can be used to do so. Explain the importance of each performance measurement.
3. Given the statistics of Middleville and its two (2) competitors provided in Table 1, recommend to the HCO what areas it should focus on to maintain its competitive market share as well as continue to provide healthcare to the community in the 21^st century.
4. Some of Middleville’s Board members are very interested in pursuing advanced technology systems over the next five (5) years, while others are concerned about the enormous expense and need assurance that the investment in technology will be worthwhile. In both monetary and process terms, describe the costs and benefits associated with implementing EMR and associated health data systems. Lay out a plan for how various systems can be implemented.
5. Middleville has faced many challenges in recruiting and retaining nurses and other clinical employees. The economy has hit the area very hard and budgetary limitations have reduced the amount of money available for salary increases. The Board knows it needs to provide other benefits to their valued employees. Provide at least two (2) suggestions to Human Resources to promote employee satisfaction and, therefore, retain experienced personnel.
6. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
7. Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:

a. Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

b. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.

c. Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Examine how healthcare management concepts and theories are applied to critical issues in healthcare organizations.
• Analyze the critical management issues, purpose, functions, and performance measures of different departments within healthcare organizations.
• Explain how public policy has shaped the development of the U.S. healthcare system.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in health services organization management.
• Write clearly and concisely about health services organization management using proper writing mechanics.