Check out this month’s selections for our “What’s On Your Bookshelf?” series from Health Administration Press, the publishing division of the Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives. As one of the largest publishers in the field of healthcare management, there are titles for healthcare professionals at every stage of their career.
Diversity on the Executive Path: Wisdom and Insights for Navigating to the Highest Levels of Healthcare Leadership
As the U.S. population continues to diversify, the business case for diversity in healthcare leadership is becoming increasingly evident. Racially and ethnically diverse leaders are, however, still significantly underrepresented in today’s C-suite. How can healthcare leaders close this gap to enhance the cultural competence of their organizations and improve health equity for all?
Author Diane L. Dixon, EdD, tackles this pressing issue by sharing the real-life experiences of 12 racially and ethnically diverse hospital and health system CEOs. She conducted interviews with this highly accomplished group of healthcare executives to discover what it takes to become a leader at the highest level. From their experiences, you will gain insight and learn practical lessons you can apply to your own career journey or the journeys of those you mentor, coach or sponsor.
Smash the Bottleneck: Fixing Patient Flow for Better Care (and a Better Bottom Line)
This book lays out a concrete methodology for getting to the root of patient-flow problems and addressing them quickly. It highlights the Theory of Constraints, a continuous improvement methodology that emphasizes identifying, optimizing and breaking down bottlenecks to improve overall system performance.
In unique way, the authors tie TOC to healthcare delivery from a practitioner’s point of view. They provide numerous examples of common health system bottlenecks to illustrate how the methodology can be applied in readers’ own organizations.
The book also showcases how TOC can help decrease length of stay in inpatient units and coordinate resources and break down organizational silos.
Leading Ancillary and Support Departments to Higher Performance: The New Service Imperative for Patient Care
When we think about who provides patient care at hospitals and health systems, physicians and nurses are often the first people who come to mind. But what about all the ancillary and support staff who assist—directly and indirectly—with patient care?
Leading Ancillary and Support Departments to Higher Performance: The New Service Imperative for Patient Care examines the key principles for effectively and efficiently leading ancillary and support teams throughout a healthcare system. Best practices from direct patient care, as well as from diagnostic, therapeutic and nonclinical services, offer real-world methods for measuring performance and making course corrections when needed.
Topics covered in the book include insights on measuring productivity and implementing staffing models, an innovative framework for improving departmental performance and guidance on identifying key work units and performance metrics.