Topics Health Problems

There has recently been debate on these pages regarding optimal expertise for biomedical leadership, precipitated by Roy Poses' posts NY Times Proclaims Anyone Can Run a Health Care Organization with a Little Studying Up.

I am resurfacing a post I wrote in Jan. 2009 entitled that I believe succinctly states the problems with 'management by amateur.'

Read the entire post, but here are the highlights:

Our recent about health care organizations recruiting executives with no experience in or knowledge about giving health care or biomedical science has attracted some attention. Some people suggested that letting some people from the "outside" into health care leadership might lead to fresh thinking and new ideas. My concern was not about that. However, I do believe that to be succesful, the leadership of health care organizations ought to collectively be knowledgeable about health care, and understand its context, culture, science base, and values. My concern was not about a few "fresh thinkers," but that the preponderance of health care leaders today know little about what it's like to actually take care of patients, have little understanding of biomedical science and health care research, and do not understand, much less share the values of clinicians.