The medical director will help us with all the transitional stress, such as personnel needs, downsizing, consolidation of medical staffs. The person will develop managed care agreements that protect all parties. We still have lots of room for improvement in reducing lengths of stays. The person must be strong on quality. The medical director must have significant managed care experience, but that is not as important to us as the willingness to learn that stuff and teach it to us.
Some doctors feel that they are being told what to do by administration.
If the medical director can break down some of that feeling, he or she will win a lot of points. If the medical director can help us deal with some of our problem staff members, he or she will gain credibility right away. Nancy Ashbach, MD, MBA, Network Medical Director, MetLife of Colorado, Denver, personal communication, 1992. Roger Schenke, Executive Vice President, American College of Physician Executives, Tampa, Florida, personal communication, 1992. Kaiser, L. Lifework Planning.