Discussion Questions

1. Explain the increasing importance of collaborative leadership in today’s complex and changing healthcare industry.

2. Discuss the interrelatedness of the six key practices/strategies for guiding a successful collaboration.

3. Which segment of the healthcare industry do you think would benefit most from using a collaborative leadership style? Explain using examples.

4. Why does self-assessment play such an important role in the practice of collaborative leadership?

1. How do environmental conditions influence a healthcare leader’s chosen style?

2. What are the barriers that prevent a healthcare leader from being transformational?

3. What were some of the changes to hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and insurance companies brought on by U.S. healthcare developments since the 1960s? How might these have been perceived as threatening by workers?

4. How might the recent healthcare reform measures influence change over these sectors?

1. What are the implications of shifting care delivery strategies for the workforce from provider-centric to PFCC?

2. Describe ways to effectively prepare a workforce to operate in a changing care delivery context.

3. What does a partnership between healthcare leaders, providers, individuals, and families look like?

4. How do we as healthcare leaders model collaboration with the person and family?

1. What is the importance of analyzing past and present financial information?

2. What is a key driver in healthcare?

3. Identify the critical components in a project plan.

4. How does healthcare reform impact healthcare institutions from a financial perspective?

1. How are nontraditional forms of governance affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational performance?

2. Have the demands for quality and accountability changed in governance? Explain your answer

3. How can members of the governing body assist the organization to prepare for change in the new environment?

4. There are many types of agencies that oversee HCOs. Do you think there will be more agencies created or do you anticipate a consolidation of these agencies? Explain your answer.

1. What skills are necessary for leaders in competing organizations to practice to be able to work together and share resources to benefit the health of the community?

2. Why is a partnership with other community organizations necessary for many successful outreach initiatives? What are some of the potential pitfalls of initiating an outreach project without the support of other community organizations?

3. Answer the following questions as an HCO leader who understands the value and benefits of outreach:

• If your HCO develops a new procedure that significantly reduces nosocomial (hospital) infections, should you as its leader share that information with other HCOs, or parlay your improved outcomes for competitive advantage to increase market share?
• Your HCO’s primary service area has a new and growing population of non-English speaking individuals with little ability to pay for healthcare services. What responsibility do you have as a leader to serve the health needs of this population?

1. Why is the health of people in other nations important for the U.S. population?

2. How is global health defined and measured?

3. What is WHO and what do they do?

4. What is the impact of human rights on health?

1. How might changes in other countries affect the U.S. healthcare system?

2. As a future healthcare leader, what skills do you think you might need to develop further after you graduate?

3. How might the relationship between health systems and universities need to evolve in the future?