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Application of Organizational Theory: A Case Study of St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto
Introduction
Through emancipation, organizations are central to the way operations are designed to
facilitate given objectives and to address change. In this paper, I will focus on St. Michael's
Hospital in Toronto and synthesize the material discussed in our ADMS 4010 sessions to
examine the organizational dynamics of the hospital. St. Michael's Hospital was originally
established in 1892 by the Sisters of St. Joseph and is one of the largest and most highly
respected hospitals in Toronto for its wide-ranging services, health and medical research, and
academic collaborations with the University of Toronto. Being part of Unity Health Toronto,
it serves as a major teaching hospital that provides tertiary care, critical care, trauma, cardiac,
and research-driven medicine. In this paper, various aspects of the organization and its
strategies are analyzed in relation to the concepts explored in ADMS 4010 to provide
recommendations and a better understanding of the hospital's operations and strategies.
Description of the Organization
St. Michael’s Hospital is situated in the downtown area of Toronto and caters for a
growing patient population requiring specialized health care services. Having volunteered as
a volunteer within the cardiology department in the summer of 2023, I had a chance to
observe the organizational structure of the hospital and how it works. The departments and
services of the hospital are well-connected and aligned in a manner that facilitates care
specialization, interdisciplinary cooperation, and creativity. Here, my work was mostly
associated with providing assistance in research activities, literature searches, and clinical
data analysis for various projects with the supervision of more experienced researchers and
healthcare professionals. This exposure was very useful in understanding how theoretical
ideas about organizations apply in a real healthcare setting.
Your Connection to/Role at the Organization
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While at St. Michael's Hospital, I was affiliated with the cardiology research
department, where I collaborated with the research team on current studies and projects that
were aimed at improving cardiovascular care and the effectiveness of treatment. Aside from
expanding my knowledge of research methods pertinent to healthcare, this position helped
me understand the functional aspects of the hospital. In my capacity as a research assistant,
some of my duties included literature review, aggregation of research data and participation
in data analysis activities. I gained this global perspective through direct exposure to theories
that I studied in ADMS 4010 and how they are implemented in improving clinical research
and patient care in a busy academic medical centre.
Application of Class Concepts
Organizational Theory
In ADMS 4010, different organizational structures and their
effectiveness/contribution to efficiency and flexibility were presented. St. Michael's Hospital
has elements of a functional as well as a divisional organizational structure. Organizationally,
medical departments like the cardiology service, oncology service, and emergency service are
fairly autonomous within their specializations to guarantee specialized medical knowledge
and treatment. This organizational structure facilitates administrative efficiency and the focus
on certain sectors of health care. On the other hand, the hospital also has divisional structures
through which it manages various service lines and research. Departments are grouped by
medical fields or research focus areas, e.g., the Heart Centre or the Li Ka Shing Knowledge
Institute, which helps create interdisciplinary environments for research activities. This dual
approach would allow the hospital to retain operational flexibility and foster the
interdisciplinary cooperation crucial for the development of medical knowledge and
enhancement of patient care.
Strategy, Design, & Organizational Effectiveness
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In the case of St. Michael's Hospital, strategic management focuses on three key
areas: patient care, teaching, and research. Analyzing the goals of the hospital, it is possible
to state that the organization implements Miles & Snow's prospector strategy, as it is
concentrated on innovation, risky activities, and new opportunities in the healthcare industry.
The patient-centred clinical model is one of the key strategic foundations of St. Michael’s
health system. The health institution translates the views of patients and the overall health
needs of the communities served into its service delivery model and research efforts. Such an
approach does not only improve the health status of patients but also increases the level of
community participation and confidence. First, let me point out that St. Michael’s Hospital is
involved in teaching, research, and academic collaboration with the University of Toronto
and other academic institutions. Research institutes within the hospital, including the Keenan
Research Centre for Biomedical Science and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, foster
research in the fields of cardiology and diabetes in addition to urban health inequalities. From
the analysis of strategic objectives and organizational capabilities outlined in this paper, it is
possible to conclude that St. Michael’s Hospital uses organizational theories appropriately to
foster innovation, enhance the quality of healthcare, and expand medical research.
Organizational Structure
In the third session of ADMS 4010, which I took, I learned about organizational
design and how it affects efficiency, communication and decision-making in health systems.
St. Michael’s chain of command makes it easier to decide on reporting responsibilities, which
is crucial in organizing the delivery of multiple specialized medical services and the diverse
professional groups involved. The organizational structure of the hospital also enhances
committee participation and cooperation in a way that prioritizes the patient’s needs as the
ultimate focus of the care being provided. However, bureaucratic procedures may at times be
an impediment to decision making, for instance in dealing with emergent health care needs or
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change in policies. To address these challenges, St. Michael’s Hospital has adopted matrix
organizational structure in some of its departments to encourage cross-functional teams and
project delivery. This combination increases versatility and volition, allowing the hospital to
shift rapidly to the new wave of healthcare necessities without compromising on quality of
services and organizational performance.
Conclusion
Learning from my volunteering experience at the St. Michaels Hospital, I understood
the application of organizational theory in improving the functionality and advancement in
the working of hospitals. Generally, the class ADMS 4010 assisted me in viewing St.
Michael’s and its functions from a different perspective particularly in understanding the role
of the organizational structures, strategic management, and patient-centered care in the
overall performance of the hospital. St. Michael’s Hospital represents the best practice of
how theory is put into practice: in order to provide the most efficient health care delivery,
research advancement, and integration with the community, organizations must strategically
organize themselves to support overarching goals. Therefore, recognizing these principles
will become valuable in my next career as a health care manager and an organizational
leader.
