Effectiveness of Hospital Workers in Leadership Positions

Abstract

Background: Hospital leadership is not the same globally. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is used in some hospitals, while in others Board of Directors/Clinical Committee is used to run the affairs of the hospitals. The CEO may be in the form of a Chief Medical Director/Chief Medical Officer. The qualification of whom is to be appointed as the CEO of a hospital and to the Board of Management is being contested worldwide, especially in low-resourced settings.

Methodology: Articles as published in reputable peer-reviewed journals were randomly selected. Some news media advertorials were randomly reviewed as well. A data collation form was used to collate the necessary information. We searched for articles in Google Scholar and PubMed. Selected reviewed articles were with the exception of those published in non-peer- reviewed journals and those written in languages other than English.

Results: Eight advertorials advertising the position of a Chief Medical Director were retrieved. Seventeen articles published on leadership in the hospital setting were found acceptable for the review. All the advertorials considered physicians to be the only eligible candidates. The emphasis was placed on administrative and ICT knowledge as added advantages. Hospitals run by the Board of Management/Clinical Committee have physicians forming the majority of the membership. Remarkable running of the hospitals was observed in those with Physicians as the CEO and those having the majority of the board members as physicians.

Conclusion: Physicians are seen at the center of the decision-making for the hospitals. Administrative and ICT knowledge are not serious considerations in setting eligibility criteria for the appointment of the CEO of the hospitals.