Leadership in Health Care System
From Management to Leadership
From Management to Leadership in the Health Care System
Fuad Basis MDa a Department of Emergency Medicine, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, ISRAEL
Abstract Public hospitals are not-for-profit organizations. The directors of the different departments are considered to be the "Midro" rank. In the health care system, as in most organizations, this sector is crucial to proper functioning. Department heads, on one hand are expected to excel as medical professionals so that they can add to the prestige of the whole organization, while on the other hand they are expected to know how to manage and lead people toward achievements, within the organizations structure. The professional demands on physicians often impart some ways of functioning or thinking that do not necessarily suit effective managerial style. Most of the hospitals in Israel emphasize professional prestige in selecting managers, without objectively evaluating their fitness for the job. Little is written about this subject in the health system. This article will discuss this subject from an "organizational consultant" and physician point of view, considering what is written in the literature in general about managers as leaders.
MeSH Words: Management, Health Care Team, System, Leadership
Introduction According to the "Three M" model, each organization contains three functional levels: the Micro level, i.e. the workers; the Macro level, i.e. the administration; and the Midro level, i.e. the managers of the different departments in the organization (the directors of the different departments of the hospital in our case) [1]. What are the health system needs from those managers? What happens when there are incompatible or even conflicting needs? What are the priorities of the organization in such cases?
Public hospitals are typically not-for-profit organizations. Since the main goal of the hospital is to give good and professional healthcare, they expect managers
From Management to Leadership in the Health Care System
Fuad Basis MDa a Department of Emergency Medicine, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, ISRAEL
Abstract Public hospitals are not-for-profit organizations. The directors of the different departments are considered to be the "Midro" rank. In the health care system, as in most organizations, this sector is crucial to proper functioning. Department heads, on one hand are expected to excel as medical professionals so that they can add to the prestige of the whole organization, while on the other hand they are expected to know how to manage and lead people toward achievements, within the organizations structure. The professional demands on physicians often impart some ways of functioning or thinking that do not necessarily suit effective managerial style. Most of the hospitals in Israel emphasize professional prestige in selecting managers, without objectively evaluating their fitness for the job. Little is written about this subject in the health system. This article will discuss this subject from an "organizational consultant" and physician point of view, considering what is written in the literature in general about managers as leaders.
MeSH Words: Management, Health Care Team, System, Leadership
Introduction According to the "Three M" model, each organization contains three functional levels: the Micro level, i.e. the workers; the Macro level, i.e. the administration; and the Midro level, i.e. the managers of the different departments in the organization (the directors of the different departments of the hospital in our case) [1]. What are the health system needs from those managers? What happens when there are incompatible or even conflicting needs? What are the priorities of the organization in such cases?
Public hospitals are typically not-for-profit organizations. Since the main goal of the hospital is to give good and professional healthcare, they expect managers
References: 1. Ben-Yeshai, R. “The Three M 's Model" for the analysis of complicated organizations. J Hum Resources, 1994;23-27. 2. Collins J. Good to Great, Why some companies make the leap and others don 't. Harper Collins Publishers, Inc Oct 2000 (Book) 3. Popper M: About Managers as Leaders, Published by Ramot- Tel Aviv University, 1994. (Hebrew Language Book)) 4. Goldman, JJ: The supervisor’s belief about people and the supervisory plan: Mcgregor`s ‘Theory X’ and ‘Theory Y’ in schools. The clearinghouse, March 1983: 306 – 310. This manuscript has been peer reviewed Correspondence: Dr. F. Basis Department of emergency medicine Rambam Medical Center POB 9602 Haifa 31096 Israel Tel: 972 4 854-2348 Fax: 972 4 854-3235 E-mail: f_basis@rambam.health.gov.il Israeli Journal of Emergency Medicine – Vol. 6, No. 3 Sept. 2006 - 17 כתב העת הישראלי לרפואה דחופה