The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #61714

Renee F. White, MSHA¹, John B. White, PhD², Thomas Nicholson, PhD², Thomas Reio, PhD¹, Donna McCabe, PhD¹, Carolyn Rude-Parkins, PhD¹, and Randall Wells, PhD¹. (1) School of Education, University of Louisville, 716 Cedar Cross Road, Scottsville, KY 42164, 2706228378, renee.white@accessky.net, (2) Public Health, Western Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University, One Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576

In 1993, Hudak et al. conducted a survey of Fellows in the American College of Healthcare Executives. The authors examined the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required of a health care executive in the year 2000. This study replicates Hudak et al.’s survey and compares the previous findings with the responses of senior health executives in 2002. Hudak et al. proposed nine domains of KSAs for health care executives. Reliability analysis was conducted on these domains, and five of the nine domains had a coefficient alpha of .70 or above. Factor analysis was also conducted, and a two-factor solution was identified. Both the Hudak study and the current study found that the most important KSAs were patience, listening, and communication skills; leadership, management, and human relations; strategic thinking and sense of vision; understanding of physician motives, needs, and politics; conflict management, team-building, and motivational leadership skills; sensitivity to stag problems; ability to lead a board and medical staff; knowledge of hospital finance; creative problem-solving skills; ability to solve long-range problems; and the ability to speak, write, and think fast on feet. Analysis was also conducted on KSAs that were least important to a health care executive. These were evaluation of purchasing studies, knowledge of the epidemiology of AIDS, knowledge of generic drugs, clinical management skills, and nursing knowledge.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: identify 5 skills required of health care executives and identify 3 skills that are not important to the success of a health care executive

Keywords: Education, Health Care Workers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.