Hospital CEOs plan their companies’ trajectories, help departments meet goals and comply with regulations, and provide long-term financial strength and stability. They also represent their organizations at fundraisers, legislative meetings, and other community events.

Ambitious professionals who enjoy making critical decisions and want to be in charge are great candidates for becoming a hospital CEO. They should have a strong background in business and consider pursuing a graduate degree, such as an MHA.

Leadership

In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations, a hospital CEO must be able to lead and motivate teams and foster a culture of accountability. Ultimately, CEO like Sam Lee Prospect Medical make healthcare organizations safer, financially stronger, and better equipped to meet the industry’s changing needs.

Regional CEOs must be capable of operating complex healthcare systems and articulating strategy. At the same time, market presidents oversee individual hospitals and connect elements of the broader healthcare network to optimize population health and risk contracting opportunities.

Culture

For a hospital CEO to effectively create innovation, they must understand the organization’s culture. This includes understanding the hospital’s structure and how that shapes its behavior. A hospital’s culture also includes its values, beliefs, and attitudes.

A hospital’s culture must support innovations relevant to its local community’s needs. This is especially important for facilities that are part of a more extensive healthcare system. Sometimes, the system’s headquarters set specific goals for the local facility. This can include requiring that physicians follow clinical pathways for an episode of care or that the hospital use a specific technology or software application.

While it is vital that a hospital’s culture support innovations, it is also critical for the organization to be fiscally responsible. This is especially true for hospitals that must manage declining Medicare payments and prepare to transition to value-based payments. To accomplish these goals, a hospital must achieve efficiency in its care delivery and establish a positive financial outlook.

Technology

The role of a hospital CEO encompasses much more than managing the daily operations of a hospital. It requires a deep understanding of critical healthcare industry issues and implementing different problem-solving and innovation strategies. An MHA graduate track can help aspiring hospital CEOs develop these skills.

Moreover, as healthcare giants invest billions in cross-industry capabilities, system CEOs must be ready to undergo a significant operations overhaul. That may mean reshaping staff roles and shifting responsibilities within the organization. 

A hospital’s CEO should also be able to determine the level of digital maturity it needs to reach and set goals accordingly. 

Finance

A CEO’s job is to plan companies’ trajectories and ensure they meet their objectives, comply with rules and regulations, and maintain their long-term financial strength. Ambitious individuals who can make critical decisions and enjoy being in charge are good candidates for this role.

Whether it’s building new facilities, acquiring physician groups, or taking on risk contracts, hospital systems now require the ability to manage complex financial models. A person who has done this at multiple hospitals is an ideal candidate.

Regional systems also require a local market president who understands the entire continuum of care and can connect its elements to achieve efficiencies. Market presidents also should have experience working with a system’s risk management team and can work closely with the system’s leaders in finance, supply chain management, and other areas. These individuals report to the regional CEO and may travel to represent their hospitals at fundraisers or legislative meetings. They must be comfortable with the loss of autonomy of being part of a more extensive network.