Organizational Development
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”
W. Edwards Deming
Organizational Development
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”
W. Edwards Deming
If an organization is unable to effectively deliver the services desired or required by customers and consumers, that organization will not succeed. While there are many definitions of ‘success’, all organizations share the need to:
- Have a clear purpose, which is understood by all the key constituencies
- Coordinate and manage resources – especially human resources
- Understand and respond effectively to the organization’s culture.
- Deal effectively with conflict
These traditional managerial responsibilities become even more challenging when organizations experience mergers, oppositions, investments, rapid growth or down sizing. The need for effective and careful Organizational Development is paramount in any environment undergoing significant change.
In addition to the external changes referred to above, organizations are frequently challenged by internal conflicts which are the inevitable consequence of environmental shifts. As many managers know all too well, conflict can tear the fabric of an organization disrupting operations, damaging customer relations, damaging morale and increasing costs and turnover. While conflicts cannot be avoided, people can be taught to handle conflicts constructively, minimizing their negative effects and creating positive outcomes.
Stackpole & Associates works with its clients to map out, understand, and effectively manage cultures. We deliver training and coaching for conflict management, as well as planning for and management organizational change.
Resources for Health Tourism, Aging Services, and Healthcare
Register for “Rocky Shoals: Navigating Medicare, Medicaid, and the Future of Long-Term Care” Nov. 18, 12 PM ET
The long-term care sector is entering its most dangerous stretch of water in a decade. Medicare rates are rising on paper. Underneath, the Medicaid financing that pays for most long-term care is being restructured, and the rocks are in sight. On October 1, 2026, the FY 2027 SNF final rule raised Medicare Part A rates […]
Rocky Shoals Ahead: What Long-Term Care Leaders Must Do Before the Medicaid Tide Goes Out
By Irving Stackpole and John Sheridan, Stackpole & Associates Sailors know that the most dangerous water is rarely the storm. It is the calm stretch over rocks that sit just below the surface. Long-term care is in that stretch now. The headline numbers look reassuring. On July 29, 2026, CMS finalized a 2.4% increase to […]
Internalizing Resilience: An Action Plan for Hospitals, Providers, and Destination Management Organizations (DMOs)
Cross-border volume and revenue per case are growing in medical travel. Capacity is being added, and international patient departments are busy again in many locations. Yet almost every destination program now depends on conditions over which it has no control: a handful of air corridors, one or two source countries, a small set of referral […]
The $38 Billion Detour: What Four Decades of Health Information Technology Bought – and What It Didn’t
The United States bought the terminals. It never finished the cables. (Illustration created for this article.) Two numbers should frame every conversation about health information technology in the United States. The first: 9%. That was the share of American hospitals operating even a basic electronic health record in 2008, according to the federal government’s […]
What ‘Rendez-Vous de Septembre’ Is Telling Us About the Cross-Border Trade in Medical Services
Every September, several thousand insurance and reinsurance executives take over the hotels along the Monte Carlo waterfront for the “Rendez-Vous de Septembre” — the 68th edition ran from 5 to 9 September this year – and it remains the largest single gathering in the sector. Almost nobody in the room describes what they do as […]
The New Gatekeepers of Medical Tourism: What Happens When AI Chatbots Start Routing Patients Abroad
Get ahead of consumer healthcare AI disruprtions in medical travel markets
Decentralization of Trials and the Next Generation of Clinical Research
Irving Stackpole to chair panel discussion at the C3 Davos of Healthcare™ NYC Summit, September 14, 2026 Clinical trials have long been anchored to major academic medical centers, but that model is changing fast. Digital health tools, remote monitoring, AI-driven data platforms, and connected devices are enabling decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) that reach broader, more […]
It’s Easier to Get a Diagnosis Across a Border Than a Body: Irving Stackpole on Digital Health, AI, and the Future of Medical Tourism
Below is a recap of the key ideas from the workshop. When Irving Stackpole, President of Stackpole & Associates, took the virtual stage for this HTDC/MedTourConnect educational workshop, he opened with fair warning: this would be different from the presentations that came before it. What followed was a candid, expert-level walkthrough of how digital technology […]
The 5th scenario: Winners take all, from the April 2026 New England Administrator Journal
I was recently reminded of an industry event in 2015, which prompted further consideration. The title of this article, “The 5th scenario,” is a deliberate takeoff on one of Michael Lewis’ lesserknown books, “The Fifth Risk,” which I recommend to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of institutions’ role in maintaining democracy, and the current […]
Segmentation Strategies for Growth
The cross-border trade in wellness, health, and medical services has evolved from a niche market into a global phenomenon. With the global markets projected to reach $87.33 billion by 2030, understanding how to effectively market different segments within this expansive ecosystem has become crucial for providers, destinations, and intermediaries alike. Drawing insights from decades of […]