School of Medicine Management

With increasing financial, regulatory, and operational pressures, school of medicine (SOM) management has become more complex and challenging. Consequently, deans and other SOM leaders are looking to better manage the resources they have to ensure the success and growth of their institutions. As a result, SOMs are now addressing two separate but related management issues, namely: (1) identifying the appropriate metrics and reporting processes for guiding resource investment decisions and (2) considering whether the management structure for the SOM and for each department best serves the use of these resources and the achievement of strategic goals.

Drawing upon its broad experience with academic medical centers and expertise in financial and organizational management, ECG assists SOM leadership with both of these concerns.

Resource Management

ECG helps deans to simplify the collecting and reporting of data so that they can easily understand where they are and how they compare to goals – and use that information to identify where to invest resources to achieve future objectives. By collecting the right data and standardizing that collection across departments, deans receive both a snapshot of the past and a prospective look to the future.

We develop reports and metrics that focus on key areas of success across the clinical, teaching, and research missions. Throughout the process we assist deans in addressing the required change to a mindset in which SOM and department objectives are aligned through prospective (and collective) goal setting, with department heads and faculty subsequently held accountable based on business-oriented criteria. While a change in culture for many SOMs, the revised management approach becomes one that drives the organization to greater success and achievement of school-wide goals.

Management Structure

The complex environment in which SOMs operate requires school and department leadership to have access to a high level of administrative expertise. Rather than maintaining the traditional administrative model, with each department supported by a wholly dedicated management team, SOMs are considering more of a “cluster” approach in which a single administrative unit supports a number of individual departments. Each department may maintain some dedicated administrative infrastructure to address day-to-day functions and immediate issues, but with the consolidation of support functions such as finance, human resources, IT, and research planning, SOMs are able to provide departments with a higher level of service and expertise at a lower cost.

ECG helps deans to confirm whether such a change is right for their organization and to develop management approaches for the institution. In approaching these engagements, we ensure that we understand the goals and concerns of all the participants, from the department chairs and administrators to SOM leadership. We then develop potential alternative models, including the key details required to make the model effective, such as responsibilities for each administrative unit, reporting relationships, and staffing plans. As SOMs decide upon and refine an alternative, ECG works with them to develop a plan for moving from the existing to the new structure, focusing on how the changes will impact the institutions overall and the individual departments on a daily basis.

The following projects provide examples of the successes our clients have achieved in these areas: