Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013 - 38

A s pi r At i o n s

of a

S e r va n t L e a d e r
extended to include complete medical care.” I debated
both sides, but I really believed senior citizens should
receive complete medical care. On July 30, 1965,
Medicare was signed into law. I thought to myself,
“That was pretty easy.”
When I entered healthcare management graduate school
in 1969, many of my professors said a national healthcare program was “right around the corner.” It took 41
years for the Accountable Care Act to become law. My
generation wanted to provide healthcare for all; I believe
in the next 10 years we will.

executives in the U.S. Not only did I find it difficult to
As servant leaders, we need to provide our patients and
be the only white person in the room, but I also found it
communities with effective and efficient healthcare
somewhat intimidating. In fact, I actually felt lonely and
services. While we will continue to make scientific
sorry for myself until I reminded myself that this was an
breakthroughs in medicine, we need to more effeceveryday occurrence for most black professionals in our
tively disseminate the scientific advances we have
field. More importantly, exposure like this to people
already made.
who I felt were different from me actually taught me we
are more alike than different.
We may have a shortage of
wh At wE D o n E E D i s
healthcare professionals in
Another way I tried to address my
mo r E l E A D E rs h i p F o r o u r
selected areas, but a lot of this
biases throughout my career was
pAt i E n t s, Com m u n i t i E s
could be remedied by allowing
to actively recruit for diversity and
everyone to work at their maxiA n D so C i E t y, A n D i B E l i E vE
train for inclusion. An organizamum capacity and delegate
tion with a homogenous workforce
yo u A r E t h E l E A D E rs wh o
lesser tasks to others. We also do
will not find diverse individuals
wi l l prov i D E i t.
not need more money. In fact,
where they have recruited in the
healthcare costs are consuming
past. They must use new and difdollars that cannot be spent on education, housing and
ferent mechanisms to attract diverse employees. They must
other services that have as much, if not more, impact
then create inclusion by establishing philosophies, policies,
on health status.
practices and procedures to ensure equal access to opportunities and resources to support individuals in contributing
to the organization’s success.
While a diverse and inclusive society will be difficult to
achieve, we must continually strive to do so.
FinAl thoughts
The national high school debate topic in 1964 was
“Resolved: That Social Security benefits should be

Healthcare Executive
NOV/DEC 2013

What we do need is more leadership for our patients, communities and society, and I believe you are the leaders who
will provide it.
Thomas C. Dolan, PhD, FACHE, FASAE, is president
emeritus of ACHE. He retired in May 2013 after 22 years
of service as the organization’s president and CEO. He can
be reached at tdolan@ache.org.

Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013

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