Healthcare Executive - September/October 2013 - 38

Global lessons

For

U.S. HealtHcare leaderS
community-based hospitals that operate with a mix of
But an inherent part of the hospital administration
employed and independent physicians. But in Abu Dhabi,
culture in Abu Dhabi is formalized succession planall physicians are employees of the hospital. In comparing
ning. Part of Lavater’s responsibility is to develop and
his experience as an executive in both settings, Lavater
execute a career plan for a protege who will eventubelieves that having a roster of employed physicians
ally assume his position as CEO. The significant
provides a level of transparency and efficaveat to this relationship that makes it
ciency that is not always possible
markedly different from most menwhen a hospital’s physicians are
toring experiences in the U.S. is
not fully aligned.
that Lavater’s protege is a
“in my opinion, we accomplished
local Emirati who will take
our goal much more efficiently than
“With the employed mediover for Lavater on a
we could have in the U.S. because
cal staff we have in Abu
specified date. In fact,
our incentives and expectations
Dhabi, we have greater
the goal throughout
were aligned. there was no need to
clarity and have moved
Corniche Hospital is to
our strategies and objecmove Emiratis into
‘sell’ the idea or convince indepentives forward quickly,”
every leadership posident physicians to accept the
says Lavater. “For examtion as expatriates pass
direction in which the hospital
ple, we shifted Corniche
along skillsets that few
was moving.”
Hospital’s mission from
locals have yet developed.
being a service-provision
ronald S. lavater, FacHe
corniche Hospital
hospital to a teaching hospiRegardless, Lavater believes he
tal. In my opinion, we accomhas learned specific, formal proplished our goal much more
cess techniques through his mentorefficiently than we could have in the
ship experience in Abu Dhabi because it
U.S. because our incentives and expectations
has been an explicit and integral part of his posiwere aligned. There was no need to ‘sell’ the idea or
tion. “I have also seen how pushing the idea of mentoring
convince independent physicians to accept the direcfurther down into the organization—at the department
tion in which the hospital was moving. With that
level—has bolstered the performance and efficiency of
aspect of the relationship removed, I would characterthe organization as a whole,” says Lavater.
ize our involvement and engagement with our medical
staff as much more of a productive collaboration.”
While the complexity of every healthcare system varies
from culture to culture, from the U.S. to the
Formalize mentorSHipS
Netherlands to Abu Dhabi, Universidad de
Corniche Hospital’s Lavater benefitted from great menMonterrey’s Garcia Luna Martinez believes a greater
tors at HCA that employed him before he came to Abu
commonality can be achieved when healthcare leaders
Dhabi. But he believes his U.S. experience is not the
look at quality, safety and strategy as an integrated
norm for many American healthcare organizations.
concept. “Overall, we must create that link and be
“Although the best healthcare organizations in the U.S.
fearless in moving forward,” he says.
place value on mentorships and formalized succession
planning, many have placed it far down on their agendas,
Ellen Lanser May is a freelance writer based in
and very few fan it out beyond the C-suite,” he says.
Naperville, Ill.

Healthcare Executive
SEPT/OCT 2013

Healthcare Executive - September/October 2013

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