Recognizing that state hospital associations need to serve their members in many ways that are beyond
the strict definition of association support services, we want to provide several service options for the state
associations in the area of executive transitions.
Generally, we further recognize that state hospital associations are viewed by their member hospitals,
especially the smaller hospitals, as being in a position of expertise and referral knowledge on various,
seldom-used services such as outplacement, continuity planning, executive leadership development, and
physician leadership development.
Specifically, we further recognize that state hospital associations get periodic requests from member hospitals
for search firm recommendations for senior executive searches.
In these instances the state associations find themselves facing a difficult set of circumstances. Let’s look at
these instances from several perspectives.
From the perspective of the hospital:
- It is unlikely that the hospital has any experience with using a retained search firm. As a result, the
hospital does not have the appropriate way of identifying firms, evaluating firms, and managing the firm
they select. The state association can assist the hospital in this critically important, highly sensitive
area.
- The hospital realizes this is a singularly important move and making a mistake with the wrong candidate
can have very negative implications on the future of the hospital.
- Hospital boards and hospital Chief Executive Officers need to maintain control of the search process,
not give it up to a search firm.
From the perspective of the state association:
- Having a successful, experienced executive in place makes good business sense for the hospital and
the association.
- Not responding appropriately to the request of a hospital board or Chief Executive Officer is a lack of
institutional responsibility.
- Having the ability to influence the search process is part of the support role of the association.
The net result, in both cases and from both perspectives, is that the boards and the Chief Executive Officers of
the hospitals will have a stronger, more positive relationship with the state association. The state association will
be clearly perceived as having the hospital’s best interest uppermost in mind.
We can help.
We can assist a state hospital association in developing stronger relationships with selected member hospital
Boards by providing high quality Executive Search services to these member hospitals.
We have been in business since the early-1980’s, initially providing Outplacement services to corporate
executives. About 25 years ago we began providing Executive Search. Given our location in Cleveland, almost
all of our work initially was with manufacturing firms. We expanded into health care over time, and today our
business is exclusively health care and almost exclusively Executive Search.
Opportunities and Advantages
Most smaller, rural hospitals do not have a depth of management behind the President, Chief Executive Officer.
When a senior executive retires or leaves under other circumstances, the board and Chief Executive Officer
are left with a unique challenge – replacing the senior executive in a market that likely has no robust source for
executive candidates.
When that happens in Ohio, we are referred to the hospital by the Ohio Hospital Association and almost
invariably wind up providing search searches resulting in a new executive. It is during the search and the
associated meetings and communications that we are able to foster stronger relationships with these member
hospital boards and Chief Executive Officers.
These stronger relationships reflect back positively on the state association.