In a recent opinion piece, the author discusses the leadership crisis in American healthcare, attributing many of the system’s failures to inauthenticity, poor execution, and a lack of consideration for how to balance costs and patient outcomes. The author proposes the idea of a training academy to develop principled healthcare leaders, imagining a school in Westchester County, New York called The Xavier School for Healthcare Leaders.
The academy would offer courses designed to cultivate industry leaders capable of building a more humane, affordable, accessible, and equitable healthcare system. One course, Patient Care 200: The Lived Experience, would focus on creating empathy for patients by simulating common illnesses and disabilities. Another course, Engineering 300: Navigating the Healthcare System, would provide hands-on experience as care navigators within a health plan, helping members access care and understand their treatment plans.
Healthcare Economics courses would also be offered, including Healthcare Economics 200: The Freedom to Capitate, which would explore the benefits of accepting global capitation arrangements. Healthcare Economics 310, or “Follow the Money,” would delve into the complex economic interactions within the healthcare system, highlighting misaligned incentives that prioritize profits over patient outcomes.
Patient Care 330 would focus on medication adherence, emphasizing the importance of ensuring patients take their prescribed medications. Executive Management 420: The Role of Risk, would challenge healthcare leaders to embrace innovation and implement bold changes, rather than taking a risk-averse approach to management.
Additionally, a mandatory course called Being Human 101 would emphasize the importance of maintaining a human touch in patient care, especially as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in healthcare. The author humorously suggests that applicants overly focused on profits or policy-making should reconsider applying, as the academy would prioritize those with a genuine desire to improve healthcare for patients.
While the idea of a healthcare leadership academy is presented in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner, the author raises thought-provoking questions about the potential impact of such a training program on the industry. By cultivating leaders with a strong focus on patient care, risk-taking, and ethical decision-making, the author believes that the healthcare system could move closer to the ideal of a more effective, patient-centered model.
