How to become the best chief of staff at a hospital?

Chief of Staff of a Hospital

Introduction

Leadership in health care presents opportunity for unique challenge and self-fulfilment. It also calls on deep personal strength, values, and vision. In addressing health care leaders, we are reminded of the clear differences among them: Some lead academic medical centres, others are responsible for health systems comprising multiple hospitals, and still others work in long-term care services, rehabilitation and specialty hospitals, hospice care, outpatient and ambulatory care, teaching and research institutions, managed care hospitals, and other divergent hospitals—all of them participants within a continuum of care (Schulte, 2009).

Discussion

The medical field is growing rapidly, and career opportunities are opening up at all levels of hospital administration. The chief director of a hospital, also called the chief of staff, has an important role in the day-to-day operations of the facility. Depending on the structure and size of the facility, a hospital may also have a separate medical director. If the hospital has a medical director, the chief director acts in an overall administrative role, directing staffing and training and serving as a public spokesperson.

The person heading this department has many responsibilities and undertakes various steps for effective decision making, as and when ever required. His work includes maintenance of report on daily basis. He provides effective management to the working staff. If the hired individual does not perform up to the expected mark his services are terminated as he is authorized to do so. Promotion of the staff is based on their performance and names are recommended according to it. He is responsible for the entire Effective planning and smooth functioning of the hospital. Meetings are organized by him are mostly related to the hospital's issues, and the various projects undertaken. Therefore, it can be seen that the Chief of Staff of Hospital plays an important part in the running process of the hospital.

In some cases, hospitals stand alone as the sole provider in their communities, smaller in size, more narrow in scope of services, and limited to the primary and secondary care services that are within their range of technology and practitioner skill. Still others are of moderate size and scope. In each case, leadership is faced with similar challenges related to changing reimbursement systems, clinician workforce shortages, new technologies, and waves of patients unable to pay for their services (Rona, 2007).

Hospitals daily face competitive environments in which not only other hospitals but also their own ...