| Course | DNP 711 Healthcare Policy and Innovation |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Health policy blog post |
| Length | About 486 words |
| Format | Discussion post with APA 7 citations |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | Doctor of Nursing Practice |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for DNP 711 Module 2
Blog 2: Who Has a Stake in Medical Respite Care
Who Holds the Keys to a Recovery Bed? Mapping Stakeholders in Medical Respite Care
A Short History
Medical respite care began as charity. Early programs in the 1980s and 1990s were run by shelters, churches and health care for the homeless clinics using donated beds and grant money, often with a single nurse. The stakeholders then were few: the programs, the hospitals that referred to them and the foundations that paid. As research began to show fewer hospital days among respite patients (Buchanan et al., 2006), hospitals became funders as well as referrers, and in the last decade state Medicaid agencies and health plans have entered the picture as some states looked for ways to pay for health-related social needs.
Today's Stakeholders
| Stakeholder | Interest | Influence | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety-net hospitals | Fewer avoidable readmissions and long stays of patients with nowhere to go | High: they refer patients and some fund beds | Strong support if costs are shared |
| AHCCCS, Arizona's Medicaid agency | Better outcomes within budget; federal approval for new services | Very high: designs benefits and seeks waivers | Cautious; depends on cost and federal rules |
| Medicaid health plans | Lower total cost of care for members | High: contract with providers and can fund services | Supportive where savings are shown |
| Respite operators and shelters | Stable funding and fair rates | Moderate: expertise and data, little budget power | Strong support |
| State legislators and budget staff | Constituent needs, cost and political risk | Very high: appropriate funds and set statute | Mixed; few know what respite care is |
| Cities and county governments | Homelessness response and public health | Moderate: local funds and zoning for sites | Supportive, with zoning conflicts |
| Neighbors near proposed sites | Safety and property values | Moderate locally: can block siting | Often opposed to specific locations |
| People with lived experience of homelessness | Dignity, safety and real recovery | Low formal influence | Central but rarely consulted |
Where Influence Really Sits
Two stakeholders hold most of the power: AHCCCS, because it can design a benefit and ask the federal government to approve it, and the legislature, which funds the state's share. Kingdon (2011) describes how policies move when a problem, a policy solution and a political moment come together. Hospitals and health plans can help create that moment by showing data on readmissions and costs. Operators can supply the solution, a model with standards. The politics depend on legislators who, in my experience, have rarely heard the phrase medical respite.
The Missing Voice
The people who use respite beds are almost never at the table. Dawes (2020) argues that political determinants of health include who is allowed to participate in decisions. A respite policy designed without input from people who have slept outside after surgery is likely to miss practical barriers, such as rules against keeping belongings or curfews that clash with dialysis schedules. My later posts will look for ways to bring that voice in.
Question for readers: in your policy area, who is affected most but heard least?
References
Buchanan, D., Doblin, B., Sai, T., & Garcia, P. (2006). The effects of respite care for homeless patients: A cohort study. American Journal of Public Health, 96(7), 1278-1281. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2005.067850
Dawes, D. E. (2020). The political determinants of health. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Kingdon, J. W. (2011). Agendas, alternatives, and public policies (Updated 2nd ed.). Longman.
Reading the DNP 711 Module 2 assignment instructions
The posted syllabus sets Blog 2 in Module 2, Weeks 4 to 6, when DNP 711 covers the basics of policy through readings from Kingdon, Dawes and the course policy text. The prompt asks you to discuss historical and current stakeholders related to your policy topic, describing the key actors and the public sector and private sector organizations involved, along with their influence. Blog posts are graded on a rubric in Canvas, and comments on classmates' posts are due a week later. Expect to look back at how the issue developed, identify who has a stake today, judge how much influence each has and say where they stand. A table or visual can make a complex set of stakeholders easier for blog readers to follow.
How this DNP 711 Module 2 example is built
The post opens with a short history of how the policy area grew and how its stakeholders changed. A table lists eight stakeholders with their interest, their influence and their likely position. The next section explains where power really sits, using Kingdon's account of how problems, solutions and politics come together. A final section names the stakeholder group with the least formal influence and the most at stake, ties that point to the course text on political determinants and gives practical examples of what their absence costs. It closes by asking readers which affected group is heard least in their own issue. Three sources support the analysis, including two of the course texts.
DNP 711 Module 2 rubric: what earns full marks
Faculty reading a stakeholder post probably look at whether any major group is missing, accuracy about each group's interests and influence, attention to both public and private sectors, historical perspective, use of course concepts and readable writing with citations. Analysis earns more than lists, so explaining where power sits and why matters. Including a historical view shows how today's positions developed. Naming a missing or marginalized stakeholder shows equity awareness. Using a course framework such as Kingdon's streams links the post to the readings. Clear formatting helps public readers. Comments are graded separately, so leave a question that invites them. Posts that end with a question tend to draw stronger comments, which are graded separately.
DNP 711 Module 2 help with common mistakes
Stakeholder posts often stall at a roll call of names; say which groups can actually move the issue. Rank or sort them by influence. Another is ignoring the private sector, such as health plans and hospitals, which often fund or block change. Do not forget opponents and neutral parties. Be careful with claims about specific organizations' positions; describe them fairly. Give the desk your Blog 1 and the groups you already know about, and a stakeholder table for your issue can be started from them. Revisit your Blog 1 question so the series stays connected. Keep the table short enough to read on a phone screen. Check each organization's public statements before describing its position.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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DNP 711 Module 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free DNP 711 Module 2 sample paper?
The blog post above is a full DNP 711 Blog 2 sample mapping stakeholders in medical respite care by interest, influence and position, with a short history.
What does DNP 711 Blog 2 ask for?
It asks you to discuss the historical and current stakeholders in your policy topic, including key actors and public and private organizations and their influence.
What is Kingdon's multiple streams model?
Kingdon argues that change happens when three streams meet, a problem people notice, a workable proposal and a political mood ready for it, and that these meetings are brief.
Which texts does DNP 711 use?
The syllabus lists the course policy text, Kingdon's Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies, Dawes's The Political Determinants of Health and a book by a former U.S. senator.
How do I show stakeholder influence in a blog?
A simple table rating interest, influence and position for each group, followed by a short explanation of where power sits, works well for readers.