title: Managing healthcare services in the global marketplace.
abstract: The world is getting "flatter"; people, information, technology, and ideas are increasingly crossing national borders. U.S. healthcare is not immune from the forces of globalization. Competition from medical tourism and the rapid growth in the number of undocumented aliens requiring care represent just two challenges healthcare organizations face. An international workforce requires leaders to confront the legal, financial, and ethical implications of using foreign-trained personnel. Cross-border institutional arrangements are emerging, drawing players motivated by social responsibility, globalization of competitors, growth opportunities, or an awareness of vulnerability to the forces of globalization. Forward-thinking healthcare leaders will begin to identify global strategies that address global pressures, explore the opportunities, and take practical steps to prepare for a flatter world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: Dean M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D004465:Economic Competition; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005551:Foreign Professional Personnel; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D038622:Internationality; D007857:Leadership; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014195:Travel