Assignment 1: Financial Statement Analysis

Select one (1) of the following publically traded health care organizations: Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) or Health Management Associates (NYSE: HMA).

Suppose you are a newly appointed CFO of your chosen health care organization. One of your first tasks is to conduct an internal financial analysis of the organization. Conduct a brief financial analysis and review of the chosen company’s financial statements for at least three (3) consecutive years. After conducting the analysis, interpret the data contained within the statements.

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:

1. Based on your review of the financial statements, suggest a key insight about the financial health of the company. Speculate on the likely reaction to the financial statements from various stakeholder groups (employee, investors, shareholders). Provide support for your rationale.
2. Identify the current industry trend that has the most significant impact on your chosen organization’s financial performance. Indicate the trend’s impact on the financial performance of the organization. As the CFO, suggest at least one (1) way that you might minimize the impact of the trend on the organization. 
3. As the CFO, suggest one (1) key strategy that you might use in order to improve the financial performance of the organization. Recommend an approach to implement the suggested strategy. Provide support for your recommendation.
4. Use at least four (4) quality academic resources. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Suggest one (1) key way in which the role of ethics in managerial accounting differs from the role of ethics in financial accounting. Indicate the role that you believe is the most significant within a health care organization. Provide support for your rationale.

• Create an argument that explains why financial managers should be concerned with quality initiatives in the health care organization. Provide at least two (2) specific examples of quality initiatives in a health care organization with which you are familiar.