| Course | HCR 321 Advanced Concepts for Health Care Coordination |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Evolving case study |
| Length | About 424 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | BS in Health Care Coordination |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCR 321 Module 3
Evolving Case, Part 1: Organizing Care for Mr. Ortiz After His Second Admission
Student Name
BS in Health Care Coordination, Arizona State University
HCR 321: Advanced Concepts for Health Care Coordination
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Evolving Case, Part 1: Organizing Care for Mr. Ortiz After His Second Admission
The Case
Mr. Ortiz lives with his daughter, who works full time. He was readmitted 19 days after his first discharge with fluid overload. He takes nine medications, prescribed by three physicians. At home he was confused about which water pill to take, did not weigh himself and missed his clinic appointment because he had no ride. His discharge papers were in English.
Where Care Broke Down
These are the classic failures of transitions that Bodenheimer (2008) described: information does not move with the patient, and no one owns the handoff.
| Breakdown | Effect |
|---|---|
| Medication list not reconciled across prescribers | Duplicate and missed diuretic doses |
| Instructions in English only | Daily weights and warning signs not understood |
| No follow-up within seven days | Fluid gain not caught |
| No contact between hospital and clinic | Primary care physician unaware of admission |
Leadership
A care coordinator rarely has formal authority over physicians, nurses or pharmacists, so leadership here means influence: setting a shared goal, bringing people together and following through. For Mr. Ortiz, the coordinator would propose one goal for the team, no readmission in 30 days with Mr. Ortiz managing his own weights and medicines, and would act as the hub, which is one of the features of programs that reduced admissions for high-risk Medicare patients (Brown et al., 2012).
Communication
Three channels need attention. With the patient and family: a qualified medical interpreter for every teaching session, teach-back to confirm understanding and written instructions in Spanish. Across the team: a single reconciled medication list shared with all three prescribers. Across settings: a call to the clinic within one business day of discharge. In a randomized trial, a coach who visited once at home and then telephoned taught older adults to manage their own transition, and fewer of them returned to the hospital (Coleman et al., 2006).
Managing Change
The clinic has never made follow-up calls after discharge. Introducing them is a change for staff with full schedules. Using a stepwise approach, the coordinator would explain why with the clinic's own readmission data, involve a nurse and a medical assistant in designing a short call script, pilot the calls with five patients, including Mr. Ortiz, and share early results at a staff meeting before asking for wider use. Starting small builds credibility and lets the team fix problems before scaling.
Next Steps for Part 2
Part 2 will follow Mr. Ortiz over the next month, as the coordinator works with him, his daughter and community providers.
References
Bodenheimer, T. (2008). Coordinating care: A perilous journey through the health care system. New England Journal of Medicine, 358(10), 1064-1071. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMhpr0706165
Brown, R. S., Peikes, D., Peterson, G., Schore, J., & Razafindrakoto, C. M. (2012). Six features of Medicare coordinated care demonstration programs that cut hospital admissions of high-risk patients. Health Affairs, 31(6), 1156-1166. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2012.0393
Coleman, E. A., Parry, C., Chalmers, S., & Min, S. J. (2006). The care transitions intervention: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(17), 1822-1828. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.17.1822
Reading the HCR 321 Module 3 assignment instructions
The papers in Modules 3 and 5 of HCR 321 form an evolving case that follows one patient across both assignments. Part 1, the Module 3 paper, is three to four pages long, with title and reference pages outside that count, and it puts the module's readings on leadership, communication and managing change to work on the case. It is worth 50 points, like each of the six short papers. Three primary sources at minimum must come from outside the course readings, and the paper goes into the course template in APA 7th edition. The patient and the specific questions are given in Canvas; if your instructor supplies the case, keep every fact consistent with it, and do not add details the case does not contain. Write Part 1 knowing that Part 2 will continue the same story.
Inside the HCR 321 Module 3 example
A brief sketch of Mr. Ortiz's admissions comes first, followed by a table that maps four breakdowns in the patient's care to their effects, linked to a source on transitions. Each of the module's three topics then gets its own section. Leadership is framed as influence without authority and tied to a feature of successful coordination programs; communication covers the patient, the team and the settings, with interpreter use and teach-back; and managing change describes a small pilot of follow-up calls. A brief closing paragraph sets up Part 2. The case details stay consistent from start to finish, which matters because the next paper builds on them. Short tables keep the breakdowns and roles easy to scan.
Reading the HCR 321 Module 3 grading rubric
Part 1 is graded on its Canvas rubric for 50 points. Evolving case papers are typically credited for an accurate and consistent account of the patient, clear application of each assigned reading to the case rather than general summaries of the readings, practical coordinator actions, attention to culture and language, at least three primary sources used well and correct length and APA format. Papers lose credit when readings are summarized but not applied, when the patient disappears from the analysis, when facts are added that contradict the case and when the paper runs short or long. Instructors also look for a clear link to Part 2, since the case evolves.
HCR 321 Module 3 help from the desk
Read the case twice and list its facts before writing, so nothing contradicts it. For each module topic, ask what a coordinator would actually do for this patient tomorrow. Use tables to show breakdowns or plans compactly. Include the patient's and family's perspective, not only the team's. Keep notes on what you leave unresolved, since Part 2 is the place to address it. If the case leaves something unclear, note your assumption explicitly. The desk can help you check that each reading is applied rather than summarized. Keep in mind that the case will be read alongside Part 2, so name people and medications the same way in both.
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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HCR 321 Module 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HCR 321 Module 3 sample paper?
The full HCR 321 Module 3 sample is above: Part 1 of an evolving case applying leadership, communication and change concepts to a patient after readmission.
What is the HCR 321 evolving case?
A case study in Modules 3 and 5 that follows one patient across both papers, applying each module's readings.
How long is HCR 321 Evolving Case Part 1?
Three to four pages, excluding the title page and references.
What is teach-back?
Before he leaves, Mr. Ortiz explains his weigh-ins and pills to the coordinator in his own way, and any gap is taught again until his account matches the plan.
How can a care coordinator lead without authority?
By setting a shared goal, acting as the communication hub and following through, rather than directing other professionals.