title: Physician anger: Leggo dem managed care blues--leadership beyond the era of managed cost.
abstract: While managed care has caused great disruption, it has also provided physician executives with a natural leadership raison d'être. Managed care, with all its pros and cons, is largely a response to certain unrelenting trends. The core functions of leaders comprise the stewardship of organizations and colleagues in response to these trends. Four trends are explored: (1) The demise of open-ended funding of American health care; (2) continued competition for health care resources; (3) thriving pluralism; and (4) patients continually adjusting to assure themselves of appropriate health care access, quality, and service. In the 21st century, the industry will need a new brand of leader, one capable of balancing the needs of the professionals with the business and accountability requirements of a permanently competitive and resource-constrained service industry. The keys to successful leadership in the future include: (1) Clear service differentiation and a compelling vision to match it; (2) recruiting and retaining top clinical talent, including the required return to physician self-direction and governance; (3) successful partnerships with others outside your organization; and (4) a steady focus on performance in all its dimensions.
authors.affiliation: Clearwater Group, USA. hkirz@theclearwatergroup.com
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kirz
mesh_terms: D004465:Economic Competition / Q000639:trends; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000639:trends; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D008486:Physician Executives / Q000639:trends*; D011209:Power, Psychological; D014481:United States