| Course | HCA 130 Healthcare Writing and Communications |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Internal memo and paper |
| Length | About 1,052 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Health Care Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCA 130 Module 6
Announcing a Change: A Staff Memo on Text Reminders and Missed Appointments
Student Name
Health Care Administration Program, Aspen University
HCA 130: Healthcare Writing and Communications
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Announcing a Change: A Staff Memo on Text Reminders and Missed Appointments
Internal memos announce decisions, policies and changes to staff. A memo that is unclear about what is changing, when and what staff must do produces confusion, uneven practice and repeated questions. This paper presents a memo announcing two related changes at a composite family clinic, text appointment reminders and a revised missed-appointment policy, and explains the choices behind it.
Background
Missed appointments are a persistent problem in outpatient care. A systematic review of 105 studies estimated an average no-show rate of about 23%, and found missed visits more common among younger adults, poorer patients, people living farther away and those without private coverage (Dantas et al., 2018). The clinic's own rate was 14%. Leadership decided to add automated text reminders and to replace a policy of discharging patients after three missed visits with a supportive outreach approach.
The Memo
To: All clinic staff. From: Office Manager. Date: June 2. Subject: Text reminders start June 16; new missed-appointment policy.
Starting Monday, June 16, patients will receive a text reminder two days before each appointment, with the option to reply C to confirm or R to reschedule. At the same time, we are replacing the three-missed-visits discharge policy with a call-and-reschedule approach.
Why: Our no-show rate is 14%, which means about 30 empty slots a week. Research shows text reminders raise attendance, and discharging patients who miss visits often removes care from those who need it most.
What changes for you: See the table of actions by role below. Front desk staff will get a 20-minute training on June 11 and 12.
Questions: Please bring them to the June 9 staff meeting or email me. Thank you for helping our patients keep their visits.
Staff Actions by Role
The memo's table sets out what each role does.
| Role | What changes | Starting |
|---|---|---|
| Front desk | Confirm mobile number and text consent at every check-in | June 16 |
| Front desk | Work the daily reschedule list from R replies | June 16 |
| Medical assistants | Call patients who miss a visit within one business day | June 16 |
| Providers | Review patients with two misses for barriers such as transport | July 1 |
| Office manager | Report no-show rate monthly at staff meeting | July |
Opening With the Change
Memos often begin with background, such as the history of the problem. Staff reading quickly may never reach the change. This memo opens with the two changes and the date, then explains why. The subject line carries the same information, so staff scanning their inboxes see it without opening the message.
Giving the Reason
People accept changes more readily when they understand the reason. The memo gives two: the local no-show rate translated into empty slots per week, which staff experience directly, and the evidence behind reminders. Pooled trials in a Cochrane review showed attendance rising from about 68% with no reminder to about 79% with a text, roughly matching phone calls for much less staff time (Gurol-Urganci et al., 2013). The memo summarizes this in one sentence rather than citing the review, since staff need the point, not the reference.
The Table of Actions
The most common failure of change memos is leaving staff unsure what they personally must do. A table organized by role answers that question at a glance. Each row names a role, an action and a date. Staff can find their own row without reading the rest.
Anticipating Questions
Before sending the memo, the office manager listed questions staff were likely to ask: What if a patient does not have a mobile phone? What do we say to patients who ask why the discharge policy changed? Can patients opt out of texts? The answers went into a one-page attachment, and the memo pointed to it and to the staff meeting.
Privacy in Reminders
Text reminders must protect patient information. The memo's attachment explains that reminders include only the date, time and clinic name, never the provider's specialty or the reason for the visit, because a family member may read the screen. Patients must agree to receive texts, and their preference is recorded. The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits appointment reminders but expects reasonable safeguards and respect for patients' requests about how they are contacted (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2022).
Tone for a Policy That Affects Patients
The old discharge policy had been applied strictly by some staff. The memo does not criticize anyone for following it. It explains the new approach in terms of patient care and thanks staff for their help. A memo that blames staff for past practice invites resistance to the new one.
Length and Format
The memo fits on one page with the table. It uses the standard memo heading, short paragraphs, bold labels for why, what changes and questions, and a table rather than a long paragraph for the role-by-role actions. Anything longer went into the attachment.
Follow-Up
A memo starts a change but does not complete it. The office manager planned a reminder on June 13, a short check-in at the staff meeting after the first two weeks and a monthly report of the no-show rate. If the rate does not fall, the approach will be reviewed with staff.
Testing the Draft
Before sending, the office manager asked two front desk staff and one medical assistant to read the draft and say what they would do on June 16. Both front desk staff mentioned the reschedule list but not the consent check, so the consent step was moved to the first row of the table. A two-minute test with readers caught a gap the writer could not see.
Where the Memo Goes
The memo was sent by email, posted in the break room and printed for the front desk binder, and the office manager read the first two sentences aloud at the next huddle. Staff who miss email still see the change, and the same words appear everywhere, so no version contradicts another.
Conclusion
An effective change memo states what is changing and when in its first lines, explains why in terms staff recognize, shows each role what to do, anticipates questions and keeps a respectful tone. The memo announcing text reminders and a new missed-appointment policy does all of these on one page, with details in an attachment and follow-up planned.
References
Dantas, L. F., Fleck, J. L., Cyrino Oliveira, F. L., & Hamacher, S. (2018). No-shows in appointment scheduling: A systematic literature review. Health Policy, 122(4), 412-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.02.002
Gurol-Urganci, I., de Jongh, T., Vodopivec-Jamsek, V., Atun, R., & Car, J. (2013). Mobile phone messaging reminders for attendance at healthcare appointments. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (12), Article CD007458. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007458.pub3
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022). Summary of the HIPAA privacy rule. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/laws-regulations/index.html
What the HCA 130 Module 6 instructions ask for
HCA 130 is described in Aspen's catalog as building communication skills for health care workplaces, and with the module's instructions held for enrolled students, an internal memo announcing a change fits well. Memo assignments usually ask you to announce a policy, procedure or event to staff and sometimes to explain your choices. Check your prompt for the scenario, audience and length. Use the standard memo heading and a clear subject line. If the change affects different roles differently, a table by role is often the clearest way to show it. Decide what belongs in the memo and what can go in an attachment. A short explanation of why you ordered the memo as you did can strengthen your paper.
How the HCA 130 Module 6 example is put together
The paper holds about 1,045 words in fifteen sections, including the full memo and a five-row table of actions by role. It opens with no-show evidence, then presents the memo. Sections explain why the change leads, how the reasons were chosen, why a table by role works and which questions went into an attachment. Privacy rules for reminder content, tone toward a retired policy, length and format, testing the draft with staff, where the memo was posted and the follow-up plan finish the body. A margin note shows that staff reading only the opening still learn what is changing and when. The paper ends by restating what an effective change memo includes.
Where the marks sit in the HCA 130 Module 6 rubric
Memo assignments are usually assessed on clarity of the announcement, completeness, organization, tone and format. The announcement here is complete in two sentences. Completeness shows in the why, the actions, the dates and where to ask questions. Organization is helped by the table by role. The tone avoids blaming staff for the old policy. Standard memo format is followed. A systematic review of no-shows, a Cochrane review of reminders and federal privacy guidance support the explanation, each in APA form. Graders also reward evidence that the writer tested the memo with readers before sending. The explanation of each choice shows the writer's reasoning. Even the posting plan, email plus break room plus huddle, reflects attention to readers.
HCA 130 Module 6 help from the desk
Change memos often open with a long history and leave the change for the third paragraph. Lead with what is changing and when. Students also forget to tell each group what it must do, so staff guess. Another common gap is ignoring questions staff will ask; list them and answer them in an attachment or a meeting. Keep the tone neutral toward past practice. If you would like a tutor to read your memo as a staff member would and tell you what is unclear, we can go through it with you before you turn it in. Read your first two sentences alone and check that they carry the change.
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 Aspen 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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HCA 130 Module 6 questions, answered
What does HCA 130 Module 6 usually ask for?
Aspen's HCA 130 description covers writing for health care workplaces, so an internal memo announcing a change is a typical assignment. Check your classroom prompt.
What should come first in a memo announcing a change?
The change itself and its start date, so staff who read only the opening know what is happening and when.
Why include a table of actions by role?
It lets each staff member find what they personally must do without reading the whole memo.
Where can I find a free HCA 130 Module 6 sample paper?
The memo and the explanation of its choices are published above, with the role table and margin notes. It is the sixth HCA 130 sample.
How long should an internal memo be in HCA 130 Module 6?
Usually one page for the memo itself, with details such as answers to common questions placed in an attachment.