Being anxious about speaking in front of an audience is a natural human tendency.  All people experience some form of anxiety before, during, or after speaking in front of an audience. 

For this discussion board, you will be asked to take a survey on your public speaking anxiety, and then reflect on how you can overcome this anxiety or use it to your advantage.

 For your initial post (due on day 3):

First:

Take the Speaking Anxiety Survey before completing this post (located above the Discussion Board in this module).

Read the following information on speaking anxiety: Speech Anxiety

Next:

Create your post to include the following:

1.  Were you surprised by the score you received on the survey?  (Feel free to share your score if you are comfortable doing so). 

2. Why do you think your score was what it was based on the questions asked?

3.  What has been your experience with public speaking in the past?  Have you had any anxiety about giving speeches or the thought of giving public speeches?

4.  Based on what you have read, what can you do to have less anxiety?

5. Based on what you have read, what should you avoid during a speech to show your audience that you are confident and prepared?

For your Responses:

Make sure to respond to two classmates by day 7.  In your responses make sure to ask questions about your peers’ experiences in an attempt to reflect and start an academic conversation. 

Your score should be between 34 and 170. If your score is below 34 or above 170, you have made a mistake in computing the score.

High = > 131

Low = < 98

Moderate =  98-131

Mean = 114.6;  SD = 17.2

Create a PowerPoint presentation of 14-16 slides with speaking notes on the new regulations impacting the practice as a result of the Affordable Care Act.

Introduction

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. The ACA attempts to increase access to care, reduce cost, and improve quality. Nearly 50 different reform initiatives were implemented between 2010 and 2017. Although primary care is a major focus of the act, these additional initiatives are focused on 10 different areas, including public health, prevention of disease, community health, and increasing revenue provisions to pay for the reform (Niles, 2021). The law has been controversial due to the mandate that all Americans must purchase health insurance.

The U.S. government plays a significant role in the operation of the country’s health care system. Quality, access, funding, education, and preventative services are all influenced by the U.S. government (Niles, 2021), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has further increased the role and involvement of the government in health care. All health care administrators must be knowledgeable on the role of the government.

Numerous governmental organizations exist, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Office of the Surgeon General to name a few. Each organization exists for a specific purpose and has a specific mission. Your role as an administrator will be to understand the scope of these agencies and to help your organization meet or exceed the governmental mandates imposed by each.

Reference

Niles, N. J. (2021). Basics of the U.S. health care system (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Demonstration of Proficiency

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Analyze current health reform, policy, and regulation in U.S. health care. 
  • Explain the Affordable Care Act and its impact on the U.S. health care system and on the practice of health care in the United States.
  • Analyze current trends in policy and predict future reforms.
  • Explain how health care reform and policy have impacted health care quality and cost.
  • Explain how regulatory agencies have evolved to address health reform and policy.
• Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others. 
  • Produce a presentation that conveys understanding of the topic, its context, and its relevance.
  • Use academic writing conventions such as APA formatting and citation style, or others as required.
  • Produce writing that includes minimal grammar, usage, and mechanical errors, including spelling.

Instructions

Imagine you are an office manager for a ten-physician primary care practice. You have been asked by the physician group to research and give a presentation on the new regulations impacting the practice as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Using the resources provided, plus at least two other peer-reviewed articles based on your own research, develop a PowerPoint presentation of 14–16 slides, complete with speaking notes. Address the following:

• Explain the Affordable Care Act and its impact on the U.S. health care system and on the practice of health care in the United States.
• Analyze current trends in policy, and predict future reforms as a result of the current state.
• Explain how regulatory agencies have evolved to address health reform and policy.
• Explain how health care reform and policy have impacted health care quality and cost.

You might want to (but do not have to) organize your presentation using the following outline:

• Slide 1: Title of the Presentation.
• Slide 2: Brief explanation of the purpose of the presentation.
• Slide 3: The Affordable Care Act.
• Slide 4: Impact on the U.S. Health Care System.
• Slide 5: Impact on the Practice of Health Care in the United States.
• Slides 6–7: Current Trends in Policy.
• Slide 8: Future Reforms.
• Slides 10–12: The Role of Regulatory Agencies (one slide per agency you address).
• Slide 13: Impact to Quality.
• Slide 14: Impact to Cost. 
• Slide 15: Concluding Summary.

Presentation Requirements

Your presentation should consist of:

• 14–16 bulleted slides.
• Speaker notes that fully explain each slide.
• A minimum of two peer-reviewed references, in addition to resources offered in this course or that you find yourself, including government websites.
• Appropriate APA citations and peer-reviewed references on each slide, as necessary.

General Guidelines for PowerPoint

• Keep the design simple. Font: Arial or Verdana, size 24-point, minimum.
• Keep the slides concise: 5–7 bullet points per slide and 5–7 words per bullet. Use speaker notes to explicate the bullets.
• For best color contrast, use light text on dark background (for example, yellow on black, white on dark blue).
• Use the proper slide layout. For example, if a slide has a title and text, it is created using the correct Title and Text layout.