Health Management 101

This week, I took the time to read about gender roles in leadership and healthcare management. The journal article I focused on was published in the Journal of Healthcare Management in 2008. Although there have been significant changes in healthcare since then, I still found a majority of the information to be surprising. According to the article, studies found that although 78% of healthcare workforce are females, women are still less likely to be found in management or executive leadership positions ( BioMed Search ). After reading that specific statistic, I pondered why women were less likely to be employed in an executive leadership position. Was it related to education? Or could it potentially be related to a candidates credentials? As I continued to read, I found the answer to my question; why are women less likely to be employed in not only an executive leadership position, but a top management position in general? If women do in fact make up 78% of healthcare, why is their...

When walking through the halls of Portsmouth Regional Hospital, each nursing station, patient room, and elevator is decorated with the hospitals mission and vision statement. According to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, their overall mission is to "serve our community with innovative care delivered with compassion and a commitment to excellence" ( PHR ), while their vision states they strive to "become recognized as a healthcare leader in New England, Providing advanced care in a safe, healing environment"( PHR ). Although these two statements seem quite similar, there is a significant difference between a mission and vision statement. A mission statement can be described as why an organization exists, while mentioning specific priorities related to the organization and their responsibilities. While a mission statement can be multiple lines, a vision statement is one sentence, describing long term goals for an organization. At Portsmouth Regional Hospital, I work ...

In order to fully appreciate the challenges in becoming an exceptional leader, I took the time to understand not only the basic attributes and capabilities that make a leader, but the fundamental management skills one should possess in order to become a strong leader. According to a thought-provoking article in the Journal of Public Health Management and Policy, there are specific elements, such as being an effective manager, that contribute to the making of an exceptional leader. Before researching the qualities of a leader, I did not entirely comprehend the difference between leadership and management. The article in the Journal of Public Health Management and Policy defined leadership as "doing the right thing", while management is described as "doing things right" (Edward Baker,  JPHMP ). Although the Journal of Public Health Management and Policy stated that leadership means "doing the right thing" (Edward Baker,  JPHMP ), I questioned what t...