Hospitals function like small cities, so their operations are broad. To set long-term and weekly goals, hospitals need to address different departments on their own levels. Overall, goals need to coincide with the hospital's mission of treating and caring for patients. They should receive support from the top down and get regular attention so that employees are aware of their importance.

Consider the Responsibilities

Departments can't influence all goals in a hospital. When forming objectives, take into consideration the level of control that area of the hospital has on the outcome. For example, when setting a long-term goal of increasing a hospital's profit margin, front-line managers feel the effects but don't have ultimate control of the budget. A supervisor of patients has more concern with patients' everyday well-being and should have long-term goals to improve care.

Look for Biggest Health Issues

Hospitals try to head off the long-term effects of rampant chronic medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. When assessing possible goals, medical facilities take these health issues into account. Hospitals can set weekly goals of informing patients about the low-cost preventative measures they can take to avoid the most prevalent health issues. For example, setting a weekly initiative to inform 100 percent of outpatient clients about the causes and fixes for these health problems is a possible hospital goal.

Serve the Demographic

Taking a hospital's main demographic into consideration is key to setting its weekly and long-term goals. Hospitals serve patients better when assessing the needs of the population just outside their doors. A long-term goal for a hospital is to form committees that go into neighborhoods and ask about health problems for overall assessment. A weekly goal is to provide practical services to a specific population in the area, such as more interpreters.

Include Every Department

Financial bottom lines tend to overshadow other issues in a hospital, but managers should take all departments into consideration when setting weekly and long-term goals. Everyone, from cafeteria servers to CEOs, needs goals to inspire them. Managers should sit down with their teams and work with them to implement objectives that benefit their careers as well as patients. For example, members of the cleaning crew could interact in a personal manner with patients on a weekly basis as they see them in the halls, so their stays feel less isolating.