Hospitalist Skill Sets Perfect for C-Suite Positions
Hospitalist Skill Sets Perfect for C-Suite Positions
Dr. Torcson says the opportunities to lead in the hospital setting abound. A former internist, he says hospitalists are primed to "improve quality and service at the hospital level because of the system-based approach to hospital care."
Dealing with incomplete information and uncertainty are important challenges for hospital leaders, something Dr. Afsar says are daily hurdles for hospitalists.
"By nature when you're a hospitalist, you are a problem solver," she says. "You don't shy away from problems that you don't understand."
That problem-solver outlook is what prompted Neil Martin, MD, chief of neurosurgery at UCLA, to ask Dr. Afsar to join a quality improvement program within the department—first as a participant and then as its leader.
"She was always one of the most active and vocal and solution-oriented people on the committees that I was participating in," Dr. Martin says. "She was not the kind of person who would describe all of the problems and leave it at that. But, rather, [she] would help identify problems and then propose solutions and then help follow through to implement solutions."
Hospitalist C-suiters describe days dominated by meetings with executive teams, staff, and individual physicians or groups. Meetings are a necessity, as executives are tasked with crafting a vision, constantly assessing progress, and refining the approach when necessary.
Continuing at least some clinical work is important, Dr. Harte says. It depends on the organization, but he says he sees benefits that help him in his administrative duties.
"It changes the dynamic of the interaction with some of the naysayers on the medical staff," he says. "That's still something that I enjoy doing. I think it's important for me, it's important for the credibility of my job, and particularly for the organization that I work at."
A lot of C-suiters sought out formal training in administrative areas—though not necessarily an MBA—once they realized they had an interest in administration.
Dr. Torcson says getting a master's in medical management degree was "absolutely invaluable."
"It was obvious to me that I had some needs to develop some additional competencies and capabilities, a different skill set than I gained in medical school and residency," he says. "The same skill set that makes one a successful or quality physician isn't necessarily the same skill set that you need to be an effective manager or administrator."
Dr. Afsar completed an advanced quality improvement training program at Intermountain Healthcare, and Dr. Narang received a master's in healthcare management from Harvard.
Dr. Harte, who does not have an advanced management degree, says that at some institutions, such as Cleveland Clinic, you can learn on the job the non-clinical areas needed to be a top leader in a hospital, including finance and strategy.
Dr. Zipper says a related degree can be a big leg up.
"If one is specifically looking to enter the C-suite, an advanced business or management degree will make that barrier a lot lower," he says. Whether that degree is a master's in business administration, healthcare administration, medical management, or a similar degree doesn't seem to matter much, he adds.
When she was looking for a new CEO for Good Samaritan Medical Center, Bollinger says that she preferred to hire a physician. That candidate, she says, had to have certain leadership qualities, including the ability to create a suitable vision, curiosity, an "executive presence," and a "tolerance of ambiguity."
As it turns out, the value of having a physician CEO has been "probably three times what I anticipated," she says.
If you're a hospitalist and have an interest in rising up the leadership ladder, getting involved and getting exposure to areas of interest is where it begins.
"I would say go for it," Dr. Afsar says. "Raising your hand and being willing to take on responsibility are kind of the first steps in getting involved. I think it's just as much making sure that you're the right fit for that type of work, as it is to excel and do well. Not everyone, I think, will thrive and enjoy this type of work. So I think having the opportunity to get exposed to it and see if it's something that you enjoy is a critical piece."
Golden Opportunity
Dr. Torcson says the opportunities to lead in the hospital setting abound. A former internist, he says hospitalists are primed to "improve quality and service at the hospital level because of the system-based approach to hospital care."
Dealing with incomplete information and uncertainty are important challenges for hospital leaders, something Dr. Afsar says are daily hurdles for hospitalists.
"By nature when you're a hospitalist, you are a problem solver," she says. "You don't shy away from problems that you don't understand."
That problem-solver outlook is what prompted Neil Martin, MD, chief of neurosurgery at UCLA, to ask Dr. Afsar to join a quality improvement program within the department—first as a participant and then as its leader.
"She was always one of the most active and vocal and solution-oriented people on the committees that I was participating in," Dr. Martin says. "She was not the kind of person who would describe all of the problems and leave it at that. But, rather, [she] would help identify problems and then propose solutions and then help follow through to implement solutions."
Hospitalist C-suiters describe days dominated by meetings with executive teams, staff, and individual physicians or groups. Meetings are a necessity, as executives are tasked with crafting a vision, constantly assessing progress, and refining the approach when necessary.
Continuing at least some clinical work is important, Dr. Harte says. It depends on the organization, but he says he sees benefits that help him in his administrative duties.
"It changes the dynamic of the interaction with some of the naysayers on the medical staff," he says. "That's still something that I enjoy doing. I think it's important for me, it's important for the credibility of my job, and particularly for the organization that I work at."
A lot of C-suiters sought out formal training in administrative areas—though not necessarily an MBA—once they realized they had an interest in administration.
Dr. Torcson says getting a master's in medical management degree was "absolutely invaluable."
"It was obvious to me that I had some needs to develop some additional competencies and capabilities, a different skill set than I gained in medical school and residency," he says. "The same skill set that makes one a successful or quality physician isn't necessarily the same skill set that you need to be an effective manager or administrator."
Dr. Afsar completed an advanced quality improvement training program at Intermountain Healthcare, and Dr. Narang received a master's in healthcare management from Harvard.
Dr. Harte, who does not have an advanced management degree, says that at some institutions, such as Cleveland Clinic, you can learn on the job the non-clinical areas needed to be a top leader in a hospital, including finance and strategy.
Dr. Zipper says a related degree can be a big leg up.
"If one is specifically looking to enter the C-suite, an advanced business or management degree will make that barrier a lot lower," he says. Whether that degree is a master's in business administration, healthcare administration, medical management, or a similar degree doesn't seem to matter much, he adds.
When she was looking for a new CEO for Good Samaritan Medical Center, Bollinger says that she preferred to hire a physician. That candidate, she says, had to have certain leadership qualities, including the ability to create a suitable vision, curiosity, an "executive presence," and a "tolerance of ambiguity."
As it turns out, the value of having a physician CEO has been "probably three times what I anticipated," she says.
If you're a hospitalist and have an interest in rising up the leadership ladder, getting involved and getting exposure to areas of interest is where it begins.
"I would say go for it," Dr. Afsar says. "Raising your hand and being willing to take on responsibility are kind of the first steps in getting involved. I think it's just as much making sure that you're the right fit for that type of work, as it is to excel and do well. Not everyone, I think, will thrive and enjoy this type of work. So I think having the opportunity to get exposed to it and see if it's something that you enjoy is a critical piece."
