Handbook for Health Care Management

This handbook is about management and the manager's real and potential contribution to a more effective and efficient health care system. Physicians, nurses, techniciancs and support personnel provide the critical nucleus for the health care system but managers are responsible for much of the system's real and imagined success and failure. Strategically, managers must keep an eye to the future, read the signs, and do the best they can to ensure health care organizations are effective by doing the right things. Operationally, they must keep their eye on the present, see to details and ensure that activities are accomplished as efficiently as possible. The book consists of a series of original chapters written by contributors in a number of areas of health care management and leadership. All have made significant contributions to the understanding of their areas through their research and writing. The book provides an opportunity for their ideas to be shared, and offers useful suggestions to present and prospective health care managers. The 14 topics included represent the consensus of this diverse and informed group.
The handbook is organized around three major parts: part one deals with the management of relationships - chapters are included on managing stakeholder relations, customer relations, relations with other organizations and relations with the external environment; Part two focuses on the tools managers possess in developing and maintaining efficient and effective organizations - chapters included in this section are finance, economics, information systems, marketing and total quality management; and part three examines key organizational processes, with chapters on team building, visionary leadership, change and innovation, organizational design and motivation.