Current changes in health care require that physicians more than ever take on leadership roles,1 focusing more attention to decision-making at the individual physician/patient level2 and examining problems broadly and systematically,3 something that many of us never practice during our training. Clinically, the number of outpatient surgeries continues to increase, with almost two-thirds of all surgeries being performed on an outpatient basis. This represents a dramatic shift in the paradigm of medicine, rapidly changing the role of health care providers, specifically anesthesiologists. Non-clinical responsibilities include changes in perioperative management for patient optimization, more effective criteria in selecting appropriate patients for outpatient surgery and reducing delays/cancellations, as well as managing O.R. staffing to improve hospital efficiency. In the past, our placement into leadership roles has generally been based on our clinical track records instead of measures of leadership aptitude or training.4
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical...
