Abstract
A substantial shortage of qualified healthcare professionals in Africa continues, but it is now apparent that professionally trained healthcare managers are an equally important need. Health facilities in Africa typically promote physicians into the role of general manager, but physicians and their lay counterparts routinely admit to being ill-prepared for roles as leaders of health systems, healthcare facilities and other services. Few, if any, degree programmes for healthcare management—be they master's in hospital administration or specialized MBA programmes— are available in these regions. And while many master's in public health programmes exist, inclusion of healthcare management content is often an afterthought. This article presents a prototype programme that was designed to address this gap. This comprehensive healthcare management MBA programme that was established at the Business School of Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya in 2013 was built around the “Leadership Competencies for Health Care Managers” as promulgated by the International Hospital Federation. The article further presents the development, structure and innovations of the programme, thus providing a blueprint for the development of similar programmes throughout the continent, aimed at addressing the substantial shortage of professionally trained healthcare managers.
Highlights
To meet the health needs of a rapidly expanding population throughout Africa and the dual disease burden of communicable and non-communicable disease, there is an urgent need for further development of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals (1)
A search and modification of model curricula outside Africa; 3. review and application of the IHF competencies; 4. a high level assessment of cultural issues that might inform content as suggested by Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory as applied to East Africa (12); 5. drafting of a preliminary curriculum with descriptions content vetted through rigorous Strathmore Business School (SBS) faculty and administrative review together with discussions with external stakeholders, including two focus groups with members of the Health Ministry; and 6. finalization of the curriculum and course content for submission to the Education Ministry of Kenya whose approval for new degree programmes at private universities is mandatory before launch
African healthcare services are at an inflection point driven by many forces such as: 1. the economic advancement of the African population, especially the aspirations of the emerging middle class that seeks better education and healthcare; 2. a reversal of the population diaspora whereby many young Africans who historically had not returned home after medical training abroad are repatriating and in doing so accelerate improvement in the standards of practice; 3. increased public and private investment in the healthcare infrastructure; and 4. technological opportunities that allow the healthcare system to leapfrog over its developed world counterparts
Summary
To meet the health needs of a rapidly expanding population throughout Africa and the dual disease burden of communicable and non-communicable disease, there is an urgent need for further development of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals (1). The IHF competencies are derived from the Healthcare Leadership Alliance Competency Directory which in turn reflects work from the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Association for Physician Leadership, American Organizations of Nurse Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and the Medical Group Management Association. These principles have a US-centricity, but they are a platform for international application when special circumstances and cultural norms are infused into specific course content. This perspectives article describes Strathmore University’s experience in designing an MBA programme aligned to the globally-relevant competencies, and with immediate relevance to the Kenyan and African healthcare environment
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