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