Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Practical Management Concepts and Cases in Leading Small Health Organizations

Course Description

This is an overview course detailing concepts and issues in leading small health organizations. Through assigned readings, the analysis of cases, role plays, class and instructor participation and presentations, and the completion of assignments, participants will develop an understanding of the leadership and management skills required to be a health leader. The instructor shares his years of experience in a variety of leadership roles in academic health organizations – community, hospital, and university and in consulting government and community health organizations. As an overview course, the participant gains understanding relating to the breadth of knowledge involved, as well as guidance in finding in-depth detail for further education and self-learning.

Any health professionals involved in leading, planning and management will find the material in the course instructive. While it is particularly well suited for those seeking skills for career advancement working in departments in health care institutions, especially academic medical centres, it is also applicable for those leading community based health organizations and teams.

Course Objectives

• To develop an understanding of the skills required of leaders and managers;
• To understand the roles and processes in strategic planning;
• To develop and implement a negotiation strategy;
• To build a business case, with an understanding of how costs are recorded and managed;
• To understand the requirements of leading various degrees of organizational change;
• To manage and learn from conflict within an organization;
• To implement quality improvement initiatives;
• To understand the potential impact of diverse cultures within an organization, and their impact on organizational management;
• To understand the concept of emotional intelligence, and its impact on the leadership of teams;
• To develop a high level of understanding of the complexity of health systems and the nature of thought processes necessary to find solutions to leadership and management issues in provision of health services; and
• To acquire skills in the collection of information from groups, including managing meetings and facilitating focus groups.