1 / 15

Developing a Volunteer Structure for Patient Services: A Presentation for Alianza GIST

Developing a Volunteer Structure for Patient Services: A Presentation for Alianza GIST. Daniel Armstrong, Ph.D. University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Florida Division, American Cancer Society March 28, 2012. Strategic Thinking. 2 major principles Form Follows Function

fai
Download Presentation

Developing a Volunteer Structure for Patient Services: A Presentation for Alianza GIST

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Developing a Volunteer Structure for Patient Services:A Presentation for Alianza GIST Daniel Armstrong, Ph.D. University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Florida Division, American Cancer Society March 28, 2012

  2. Strategic Thinking • 2 major principles • Form Follows Function • KISS Principle- “Keep It Simple, Stupid” • The more moving parts there are, the more likely things are to go wrong

  3. Mission Statement • What is it that you want to accomplish? • Improve knowledge • Increase access • Support local patient organizations • Encourage collaboration and coordination • Question: How can you operationalize each of these component parts?

  4. Mission Statement • New organizations usually want to do everything. • New organizations usually can’t do everything. • Make strategic decisions • What is the reasonable timeline for us to accomplish each of the mission components? • If the timeline is too long, should we wait to add the component to the mission statement? • In 2 years, what would our accomplishments look like for each of the components of our mission statement?

  5. Mission Statement • Will others (volunteers, donors, community partners) agree with and embrace our mission and its components? • Need to get input from others about these questions…if the mission is too narrow, or too poorly defined, the organization will flounder.

  6. Implementation of Mission • What specific activities do we envision as the face of each component of our mission statement? • Improve knowledge: will this include a website, fliers, television and radio PSAs and interviews? • Remember, knowledge is different from awareness • Increase access: will this involve registration for health insurance, advocacy with physician and hospital groups, transportation assistance, advocacy with pharmaceutical groups for low-cost medications, activities to increase availability and participation in clinical trials?

  7. Implementation of Mission • Support local organizations • Do these local organizations want support? If so, what kind? • How much involvement do these organizations want your group to have with their internal workings? • Will your program be a funder, facilitator, or service deliverer?

  8. Implementation of Mission • Encourage collaboration and coordination with the physician community • Do you have physician champions for GIST? • Is there government support for your efforts (e.g., does government health insurance cover the kind of care needed?) • Are there any “downsides” to physician involvement with GIST (e.g., poor payment for lots of work)?

  9. Implementation of Mission • What barriers to your mission can you envision? • Different healthcare systems in different countries? • Competing diseases/organizations for your base? • Sufficient funding to allow a foundation for sustainability to be established

  10. Structure • The governance structure follows all of the earlier consideration about mission, activities, and barriers • The structure should be created to allow the mission and its components to be carried out • Efficiently • Effectively • With high impact

  11. Structure • From the beginning, structure should be focused on delivery of mission, not preservation of the organization or internal roles within the organization • This is the most difficult challenge of any organization…easier at the beginning, but with time there is a risk of internal focus and organizational implosion

  12. Structure • Issues to be decided • Leadership structure • Leadership responsibilities • Mission outcomes • Financial outcomes • Committees • Meetings- how often, how long?

  13. Structure: Critical Elements • Structure works and does not frustrate • Structure is inclusive…different constituent groups feel ownership and high level of participation • Structure has built-in flexibility • Structures need to be able to change with • Changes in factors external to the organization • Changes in mission priorities, accomplishments • Structure has core principles that can be sustained for continuity

  14. Challenges • This is a human endeavor, and involves people • People change • Emotions often overrule rationality • Change is resisted • Others are competing with you for funding, attention, recognition

  15. Concluding Thoughts • Orphan diseases need champions • There are partners in unexpected places…look for them • Focus on Mission • Focus on Mission and Implementation • FOCUS ON MISSION!

More Related