Degree for CEO of Hospital?

[Dr. Donkey]

I haven't heard much about hospital administration, but my guess is that the top ranking hospital administrators (CEOs, presidents, and such) come from the business world but have focused on healthcare for most of their careers. How often do MDs/DOs get into high-level hospital administration positions, and what extra degrees are usually prerequisites for this situation (e.g. MBA or MPH)? Also, would you think the same applies for getting a high position in academia like dean of the medical school, which usually seems to be an MD/DO.

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[Samoa]

Your assessment is correct. Top level hospital administrators are usually either business people or allied health personnel with advanced degrees. The allied health professions are represented in percentages similar to the percentage of the hospital workforce they represent (i.e. the majority are BSN + advanced degree, usually management). MDs serve as chiefs of the medical staff, but don't usually venture into positions where oversight of the entire hospital is required (which includes things like physical plant, housekeeping, dietary, personnel, etc., which only get noticed by medical staff when they're bad enough to affect patient care). Although there are enough exceptions that I wouldn't make a sweeping generalization to that effect.

But it's important to the medical profession that only doctors have actual authority over other doctors, and so positions requiring that (medical staff, residency and medical school oversight) also require an MD, and sufficient training to be credible as a leader of other doctors.

 

[Ross434]

I haven't heard much about hospital administration, but my guess is that the top ranking hospital administrators (CEOs, presidents, and such) come from the business world but have focused on healthcare for most of their careers. How often do MDs/DOs get into high-level hospital administration positions, and what extra degrees are usually prerequisites for this situation (e.g. MBA or MPH)? Also, would you think the same applies for getting a high position in academia like dean of the medical school, which usually seems to be an MD/DO.

Administrators of hospitals and medical systems are rarely doctors. Like you said, they're usually from the business world with mba's and past executive positions. You'd definitely need an MBA and extensive managerial experience. Becoming a dean of a medical school, however, probably involves the same type of things that make you "elite" in the medical world. Getting a good residency and doing great academic research are probably what qualify you for this position, as well as having some connections and contributing greatly to academic medicine at your institution. An advanced degree is probably not required, but i bet a lot of these people have PhDs or MPH's.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I haven't heard much about hospital administration, but my guess is that the top ranking hospital administrators (CEOs, presidents, and such) come from the business world but have focused on healthcare for most of their careers. How often do MDs/DOs get into high-level hospital administration positions, and what extra degrees are usually prerequisites for this situation (e.g. MBA or MPH)? Also, would you think the same applies for getting a high position in academia like dean of the medical school, which usually seems to be an MD/DO.

CEO would be an MBA or MHA, not an MPH.

There are many school that offer these degrees as a dual degree with an MD or DO.

 

[Quicksilver]

I haven't heard much about hospital administration, but my guess is that the top ranking hospital administrators (CEOs, presidents, and such) come from the business world but have focused on healthcare for most of their careers. How often do MDs/DOs get into high-level hospital administration positions, and what extra degrees are usually prerequisites for this situation (e.g. MBA or MPH)? Also, would you think the same applies for getting a high position in academia like dean of the medical school, which usually seems to be an MD/DO.

Probably an MBA or there is actually a degree in hospital administration one can get from some schools. 😀

 

[OSUdoc08]

Probably an MBA or there is actually a degree in hospital administration one can get from some schools. 😀

MHA = Master's of Hospital Administration

 

[SoulRFlare]

The head of the Cleveland Clinic is an MD...a CT surgeon no less

 

[Gut Shot]

I would argue that historically MD's have not occupied the upper eschelons of hospital administration, but this will slowly be changing. Since the start of the managed care quasi-debacle, physicians have been realizing that we need to creep into and usurp high level administration if we're going to look out for our collective asses.