Physicians as executives: boon or boondoggle?

It should come as no surprise to any observer of trends in the U.S. healthcare delivery system that physicians are taking a keener interest in the organization and management of that system. The practice of medicine has become, to a large degree, overtaken by events. Managed care and system integration have tended to place decision making at points further and further removed from patient care, the natural purview of the physician. It is to regain the initiative on how patient care is provided that physicians are moving in greater numbers into management. It is our contention that this move portends well for the future of the system. The unique advantage of the physician executive is the ability to bring to bear on healthcare management an understanding of the clinical processes that are its essential content. With strong clinical credentials and excellent management training, the physician is poised to make significant contributions to a healthcare organization's success.