Ten Core Competencies for Hospital Administrators

Abstract

Ever-increasing complexity and contradiction in the health care industry often leave hospital administrators wondering whether they can still make a positive difference for patients. In this context, hospital administrators can regain both perspective and enthusiasm by revitalizing their direct connections with the patients, caregivers, and organizations they serve. Hospital administration remains a special calling, and this article profiles 10 core competencies that will keep health professionals close to their customers, colleagues, and the reasons they entered the helping professions. This intimate knowledge of the organization and its resources coupled with the ability to communicate effectively typically trump advanced education or technical skills in successfully navigating genuinely consequential situations. Hospital administrators who master and practice the 10 competencies can indeed make a positive difference for patients and find great personal reward in doing so.

Managerial Strategies for Long-Term Care Organization Professionals: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts

“…Meanwhile, Freed [32] outlines the ten core competencies that every hospital manager should practice to continuously revalidate her or his commitment and requalify for the position: to send a condolence card, to donate, to experience all shifts, to visit physicians and nurses where they work, to attend clinical forums, to engage with clinical partners, to experience hospital services, to disclose and genuinely reflect on medical errors and futile care, to cooperate for public benefit, and to remain actively on call.…”

“…Attending clinical forums [32] Balancing management theory and practice [34] Collaborative managers and compassionate leaders [34] Communication [24,33,39,51,55] Community and customer assessment and engagement [28] Continuous learning [25,27,28,34] Cooperating for public benefit [32] Demonstrating personal qualities [28] Disclosing and genuinely empathizing about medical errors and futile care [32] Table 1. Cont.…”

“…Donating [32] Engaging with clinical partners [32] Engaging in the culture and environment [40] Experiencing all shifts [32] Experiencing hospital services [32] Financial management [24] Governance and leadership [28] Human resource management [28] Improving services [67] Influencing skill [55,56] Innovation [55,56,66,81,82] Leadership [21,24,26,30,31,33,34,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][49][50][51][52]66,81,82] Managing and making change [34] Managing services [28,34] Organization [31,35,36,48] Performance management and accountability [28] Political analysis and dialogue [28] Political and legal issues …”