| Introduction | | | | changes required to respond to dynamic marketplace |
| Over the past several months, members of Phillips & | | | | conditions. In academia, the president requires input |
| Associates have remarked on a growing trend: mid- | | | | from faculty members. With decisions made by |
| to senior-level managers and administrators are | | | | committee, change can come slowly. In these |
| successfully making the transition between the health | | | | dynamic industries, however, it is imperative that |
| care and higher education industries when seeking | | | | organizations move quickly to mitigate risk. In |
| new career opportunities. | | | | addition, the administrators of higher education and |
| We were curious about this phenomenon and | | | | health care facilities must deal with a unique group of |
| decided to investigate further. We spoke with | | | | service providers, physicians and professors, who are |
| leaders who had moved between the two industries | | | | often independent, entrepreneurial, and somewhat |
| about their reasons for making the switch. We also | | | | autonomous. |
| talked with folks about the similarities and differences | | | | The types of roles in which people have made |
| between the two industries. | | | | successful transitions from one industry to the other |
| We want to share with our clients the insights we | | | | are varied, including support services, development, |
| are witnessing in the marketplace. We believe that | | | | information systems, facilities and finance. Having |
| this information will change some of the ways you | | | | worked in both industries, Cheryl Hoffman, former |
| look at recruiting, as well as the way you look at | | | | Chief Financial Officer at Beth Israel Deaconess |
| future career opportunities. | | | | Medical Center and now Finance Dean/Chief Financial |
| Health Care And Higher Ed: What Similarities Do They | | | | Officer of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Harvard |
| Share? | | | | University, provides this view: "The leadership |
| The health care and higher education industries share | | | | structure within the departments is very similar |
| a similar profile and nowhere is that more apparent | | | | between the two industries. For example, the |
| than in New England. In fact, some of the country's | | | | departments on the medical side are often divided |
| leading universities are located in New England. Many | | | | along clinical lines, such as pediatrics and surgery, with |
| of these colleges and universities also have | | | | a chief heading each; on the faculty side, the |
| prestigious medical schools, such as Tufts, Boston | | | | structure is divided along department lines such as |
| University, University of Massachusetts, Yale, | | | | humanities and social science with a department chair |
| Harvard, Brown and Dartmouth, and they are | | | | of each. If you look at the roles and titles of |
| affiliated with the area's top teaching and community | | | | administrators between the two industries, you will |
| hospitals. Gary Vassar, Director of Human Resources | | | | see that health care and academia have parallel |
| at Children's Hospital, notes that the close affiliation | | | | responsibilities: for example, both may have a vice |
| between academia and health care also extends into | | | | president in charge of plant and facilities or a vice |
| the training of allied health professionals; now most | | | | president of finance." Another example in the finance |
| nurses and other non-physician providers are trained | | | | area is the controller or trust fund finance position |
| in schools that are part of university or college | | | | that is similar in both health care and higher education, |
| systems. In addition, many of the instructors for | | | | especially given similar cultures, missions and |
| these academic programs are also practitioners. | | | | operations. |
| Besides sharing a close connection from an academic | | | | Transitioning Between The Two Industries |
| perspective, health care and higher education | | | | The fact that there are so many similarities between |
| institutions share many similarities in terms of | | | | health care and higher education is good news for |
| organizational structure, philosophy or mission and | | | | professionals in both industries. Many people have |
| personnel needs. These similarities open the way to | | | | successfully made the transition from one industry to |
| increased career opportunities for seasoned | | | | the other. The skills required for mid- to senior-level |
| organizational leaders, especially during these times of | | | | administrative positions are complementary and |
| strong demand coupled with a limited supply of | | | | applicable to either industry. The cultures are similar, |
| professionals. For this reason, many employers are | | | | as are the roles within the operations area, often |
| seeking to hire people from similar industries, rather | | | | leading to a smooth transition for the new employee. |
| than requiring specific industry experience. | | | | MIT's Avakian believes that the essential skills for |
| Health care and higher education organizations are | | | | many roles, such as human resources, purchasing, |
| service providers. Their success depends on their | | | | facilities management, budget, and audit are easily |
| strong reputation and the satisfaction of their | | | | transferable between industries. "The nuts and bolts |
| customers with the quality of the service provided. | | | | of the job are similar. I have a friend in HR at a |
| Quality is determined through consumer feedback | | | | manufacturing firm; she spends a considerable |
| and success rates. This contrasts with many other | | | | amount of time dealing with incentive compensation |
| industries, which are sales-oriented and product-driven | | | | and other for-profit issues. My job requires more time |
| in nature. | | | | dealing with labor/employee relations and |
| Health care and higher education organizations have | | | | management structure issues in higher education, just |
| to compete mightily for customers, requiring these | | | | as I did when I worked in health care. Similarly, in the |
| institutions to invest in the resources that will help | | | | specialty fields, a research biologist here at MIT also |
| them be more qualityoriented, more cost-conscious, | | | | could work in health care." |
| more customer service driven and more innovative | | | | Mark Kostegan, President of the Healthcare |
| than their competitors. | | | | Foundation of Cape Cod, hired several professionals |
| Higher education and health care attract individuals | | | | with higher education experience into positions he |
| with similar profiles. "The service mission of both | | | | supervised while at Children's Hospital and |
| health care and higher education tends to attract | | | | Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary. "I looked into the |
| people who are engaged in a social cause," according | | | | academic pool for talent in the area of development |
| to Laura Avakian, Vice President of Human | | | | and concluded that if you can raise money |
| Resources at the Massachusetts Institute of | | | | successfully in academia, you can transfer those skills |
| Technology (MIT) and former Senior Vice President | | | | to health care, and vice versa. It's the same skill set, |
| of Human Resources at Beth Israel Deaconess | | | | tactics and process. Basically it's a service-based |
| Medical Center and CareGroup, Inc. "Employees at all | | | | environment with a strong social cause. There are |
| levels have social good as an important cause in their | | | | few obstacles to prevent someone from transitioning |
| daily work." | | | | from one environment to another. With the right skill |
| Both health care and higher education are | | | | set, you can be successful in either arena." |
| labor-intensive industries, employing a widely diverse | | | | Keene Metzger, Dean for Administration at Radcliffe |
| population, in terms of ethnicity, job function and | | | | Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University |
| level of education. As Avakian explains, "You have | | | | and former Vice President of Finance at Somerville |
| highly educated people at one end of the spectrum, | | | | Hospital, acknowledges that switching industries can |
| such as doctors and professors. On the other end of | | | | be worrisome. One may be concerned with the |
| the spectrum, there is a large population of culturally | | | | different skill base and knowledge needed for the |
| diverse individuals whose first language is often not | | | | new industry. As a financial officer for the third time, |
| English. These are the dominant ends of the | | | | but without experience in academia, Metzger had this |
| spectrum with specialized folks in between, providing | | | | to add: "The key is to listen to the advice of those |
| an interesting organizational structure, which | | | | who have been in the industry for a long time. There |
| significantly affects policy making. This is of particular | | | | is a wide range of opportunities and if you listen to |
| importance since these industries are complex, labor | | | | others you can benefit from their strengths and |
| intensive organizations, where salary and benefits | | | | knowledge. Keep your eyes and ears open." Cheryl |
| account for about 50% of the operating budget. | | | | Hoffman agrees, "Be open minded; learn and begin to |
| Compare that to the airline industry, for example, | | | | understand the organization before you move |
| which may be at 20%. In health care and higher | | | | forward with changes. New blood and new |
| education, you need hundreds of people with | | | | perspectives can be very healthy for the organization |
| specialized skills at all different levels to make the | | | | as well for the individual." |
| place run well." | | | | This article is drawn from Phillips DiPisa's Thought |
| Most health care and higher education institutions are | | | | Leadership Library. You can find more perspectives |
| long-standing, not-for-profit organizations with rich | | | | on managing today's complex healthcare organizations |
| traditions dating back one hundred years or more. | | | | on our Web site at |
| Over time, they evolved into complex organizations, | | | | Phillips, DiPisa & Associates |
| where decision-making involves input from a variety | | | | 62 Derby Street |
| of key constituencies with a variety of viewpoints. | | | | Hingham, MA 02043telephone: 781-740-9064 |
| For example, hospital administrators must involve | | | | Copyright (c) 2007. Phillips, DiPisa & Associates. |
| physicians who may be reluctant to embrace the | | | | |