Leadership is the ability of a person or a group to help regulate and guide an organization towards success. It determines the future of an institute.

The leadership in a healthcare setting is its management. The Healthcare sector is associated with saving lives. Whether it is an earthquake, a flood, or a pandemic like COVID-19, healthcare workers never back off. Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, which compels them to serve without discrimination.

In the healthcare sector, management is as critical as a doctor treating his patient. Without proper management, the entire structure of medical care will fall to the ground.

Under good leadership, the healthcare system will deliver excellent patient care, high-quality treatments, and better results.

Like other sectors, a hierarchical system steers healthcare. National and international organizations use pyramidal fashion in management. It is the traditional system. The system which is gaining more attention these days is the 'Flat Hierarchical System'; this system implies no middle man between doctors and paramedics and the governance.

Good leadership boosts staff morale and professionalism. People tend to work more diligently under good management. It is not the case for the health sector only.

An organization is known by its employees, so the management must listen to their concerns. The employees in healthcare settings are the people who save lives. Their issues can affect the lives of the general public.

Good health leadership and management will always facilitate the staff and the patients whose lives are at stake. One of the best leadership examples includes the marvelous management of healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic when the resources were scarce, but leaders sat together and made decisions to facilitate the patients and the staff as much as possible.

Importance of Leadership:

Here are some reasons why leadership and management are necessary for the healthcare sector.

1. Healthcare sector deals with life and death:

Healthcare workers are confronted with the reality of death every day, which is part of their job. A doctor only declares the time of death when he has exhausted all other options and has no other choice. It requires a strong sense of responsibility, while the hospital staff saves hundreds of lives daily.

They need a smoothly running system to work smoothly. Good leadership is a huge part of facilitating patients.

2. Skill Building:

The staff works best when they have good leaders. It helps them to achieve more and more. The better the healthcare management, the more the patients will be treated, and it will polish the skills of hospital workers.

Healthcare professionals should stay up-to-date to provide the best care to their patients. Regular training sessions held by healthcare management may improve the staff's ability to handle patients well.

3. Code of Conduct for Staff:

The health management and leadership determine the code of conduct the staff has to follow. A person adapts to something early and easily when he sees his superiors and co-workers do the same thing.

That is why the staff follows when the leadership follows a specific code of conduct. It will not feel hesitant to adopt changes. If leadership shows poor behavior, the staff members will do the same. If the management follows every rule, the staff will happily jump on the bandwagon.

4. Enhancement of Teamwork:

Hospitals and medical centers require many different departments and professionals to run smoothly. Medical and management departments have to work together in synchrony. Every department has its team. Every team member has to work for the department to succeed.

Healthcare leaders should adopt various leadership strategies to enhance teamwork among the departments. They also need different departments to work as a team to run the hospital. Without flexible and vigilant leadership, the hospital cannot run.

5. Determination of Goals:

The management of the hospital has to set goals. These goals include better patient care, community involvement, and enhancement of workers' skills.

The leadership must involve itself with the day-to-day activities held in the hospital. The more closely they watch the services provided by the staff, the better they will be able to understand the areas which require special attention.

Without the proper involvement of leadership, a hospital can never achieve its objectives.

6. Sorting:

In a hospital setting, the doctors and nurses have predetermined roles. A single doctor or a single department cannot handle the whole influx of patients. The hospital is divided into various departments, each having its specialty.

The management has to ensure that there is a proper channel through which the patient can reach the department of his needs. This channeling should be fast and thorough so that the patients do not have to wait.

7. Smooth Functioning of Hospitals:

A hospital can only function when each staff member has been assigned a role. The duty rosters come in handy for this purpose. Department heads prepare the duty rosters. The hospital management has to ensure that the duty hours don't exceed 80 hours limit.

It will prevent the doctors and staff from making mistakes. The management has to ensure the hospital runs but not at the cost of their staff members.

8. Policy Making:

The policy-making in the health sector directly affects patient care. Leaders may make policies to facilitate the patients, but these policies should address the concerns of the staff.

The hospital is like a car. It needs all its parts to work to move suitably.

The policy-making leadership is the steering wheel. It determines the direction of the hospital. The staff members are the engine and wheels.

If the leadership wants to start a journey, its policy should comply with all the staff members.

9. Risk Minimization:

When the hospital works in synchrony, there are lesser chances of mistakes. There have been many incidences in which poor management has led to lawsuits against hospitals. The claims cost hospitals a fortune. Some claims against hospitals include wrongful death, misdiagnosis, erroneous surgeries, and injuries during childbirth.

Hospital management has to ensure that such mistakes do not recur. These mistakes ruin the image of the hospital and cost patients' lives.

10. Betterment through Competition:

Hospitals usually compete against each other for better image and patient care. These healthy competitions can improve the quality of care provided to the general public. The leadership has to attract huge donations by showcasing their staff's achievements.

In these competitions, management can lead the staff towards new and better goals.

11. Inter-Hospital Communication:

There should be communication between hospitals. It helps the patients. The best example of this is the waiting list for organ donation. Various hospitals can work together to search for donors and rightful recipients.

The leadership should not focus on competition. It should communicate with others to provide benefits to the general public.

Conclusion:

The healthcare sector can run steadily under good leadership. Management is critical in healthcare facilities. The system directly affects the lives of the public. To ensure public safety, the leadership has to be vigilant and considerate.

Staff members of the health sector work hard to save lives. They require a system that determines their goals, enhances their abilities, improves patient care, and reduces risk as much as possible.