HM 595 - Leadership for Health Professionals: Theory, Skills and Applications I

Course overview

The content of this course will help the student build foundational leadership knowledge and bridge the gap between theory and practice. Leadership is studied from historical, cultural and contemporary perspectives. Course Content includes a comprehensive study of multiple leadership theories. This Leadership course is designed to provide the student with the ability to distinguish the difference between a leader and a manager and note that all managers are not automatically leaders. Examples are given to relate leadership theories to actual practice. Relevant skills, tools, abilities and education are addressed. A students personal leadership style is also profiled by encouraging them to develop a personal leadership development plan. Emphasis is placed on leadership competencies required to successfully in the healthcare arena. The competition for scarce organizational resources impact on leadership styles is a big part of the discussion. Leadership theories are also reviewed in the context of how intricately complex our healthcare system has become. Healthcare leadership's relationship to healthcare Ethics puts an ethical framework in the forefront of our studies. Practical applications of leadership theories are differentiated by positive or negative outcomes. Modeling techniques add perspective and allow for the consideration of leadership options in practice. Our text also provides a future look at potential leader actions and the effect of globalization and world views. The impact that a leader's decisions have on the local community served and society is analyzed as well. We also take a look at how effective leaders manage poor performing employees. Strategies and best practices are reviewed. Models of health analytics models are reviewed. The importance of the healthcare leader's ability to maneuver successfully in the complex health insurance environment become paramount. Succession planning and mentoring techniques is looked at from the perspective of developing our next generation of healthcare leaders. Additional insight is gained by reviewing the concepts discussed on Appendix A-D. The topics covered in this course are applicable to all sizes of healthcare organizations as the healthcare industry has entered an era of unprecedented change. In addition, the work of healthcare organizations continues amid a high level of scrutiny from regulatory agencies that examine the quality of care, operational processes, financial performance and patient safety. In the course we attempt to define the extraordinary challenges healthcare leaders face and provide a model of leadership under which the leader can navigate the healthcare minefield of uncertainty. Students will become learn how to Compete for scarce resources in an organizational setting and develop strategic responses and options. Patient satisfaction becomes a focal point and the future leader is taught to consider a community perspective in decision making. This course is relevant for current and future supervisors and managers who want to increase their leadership potential and skill set. The course content is applicable for prospective and existing clinical providers and managers from Outpatient facilities, Long-term care facilities, Ambulatory Centers and all levels of hospitals. The text is applicable to both the second and third courses for our Healthcare Leadership Certification Program or for students who wish to earn CE credits.