HEALTHCARE PHYSICIAN-CEOS: IMPACTS ON HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE AND EXECUTIVE SATISFACTION

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Labanc, Andra Joelle
Area of Honors:
Health Policy and Administration
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Maureen Connelly Jones, Thesis Supervisor
Selena E Ortiz, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Expert Leadership Physician Executives Clinical Competence Organizational Success Healthcare Administration Chief Executive Officer
hospital
Expert Leadership Physician Executives Clinical Competence Organizational Success Healthcare Administration Chief Executive Officer
hospital
Expert Leader
Physician Executive
Hospital CEO
Healthcare Administration
Chief Executive Officer
Abstract:
There is a notion that a CEO with a medical background (i.e.—MD or DO) can lead a hospital to success more effectively than a CEO without a medical background (i.e.—MHA, MBA, or MPH). The existing data that seeks to answer whether a physician would serve best as a hospital CEO is limited and inconclusive. Therefore, this study was performed in order to better understand how physician-CEOs impact the success of their organizations. After an intensive review of the literature, a rigorous multiple-case study with embedded analysis was conducted. This study consisted of two healthcare organizations led by physician-CEOs. Each physician-CEO and two of their executive suite subordinates (one clinical and one operational) were interviewed. Additionally, the study examined the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS questions 21 and 22) and financial metrics (operating margin and net patient service revenue) three years prior and three years after the physician-CEO’s hire. The information collected from this research led to the discovery of five characteristics specific to physician-CEOs in this study. Overall, the study has implications for various aspects of the healthcare industry and highlights a major need for future research in this field.