INQRI’s Mark Pauly Co-Authors New Study on Dual MBA/MD Degrees

Physicians who have both doctor of medicine (MD) and master of business administration (MBA) degrees reported that their dual training had a positive professional impact, according to a new study co-authored by INQRI co-director Mark V. Pauly. The study was published online by Academic Medicine and is one of the first to assess MD/MBA graduates’ perceptions of how their training has affected their careers. It focuses on physician graduates from the MBA program in health care management at the University of Pennsylvania.

The MD was more often cited as conveying professional credibility, while 40 to 50 percent of respondents said the MBA conveyed leadership, management, and business skills. Respondents also cited multidisciplinary experience and improved communication between the medical and business worlds as benefits of the two degrees.

The study’s authors also include David A. Asch, co-director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania and Clinical Scholar Mitesh S. Patel, who was quoted in a statement:

“A study published in 2009 found that among 6,500 hospitals in the United States, only 235 were run by physicians. Moving forward, changing dynamics triggered by national health care reform will likely require leaders to have a better balance between clinical care and business savvy. Graduates with MD and MBA training could potentially fill this growing need within the sector.”

Read the study, “The Role of MD and MBA Training in the Professional Development of a Physician: A Survey of 30 Years of Graduates From the Wharton Health Care Management Program,” which will also be published in the September issue of Academic Medicine.

The study was also covered on the RWJF Human Capital Blog.

Op-Ed In The Huffington Post Highlights the Significance of Nurses

Earlier this morning Brian Secemsky, M.D., a resident physician in internal medicine at UCSF Medical Center, emphasized the importance of recognizing nurses' integral role in the delivery of team-based care. Dr. Secemsky highlighted just a few of the roles that nurses play in the delivery of care, and how these roles improve the patient and provider experience.

To read Dr. Secemsky's full Op-Ed, click here.

National Survey Finds Nurses in Physicians’ Offices See Salary Hike

The June edition of Healthcare Finance News featured the results from a survey that found nurses and nurse managers saw an average salary increase of 4% and 12% over the past year. The authors of the survey also found that on average, nurses working in private practices tend to make less than their counterparts in other sectors of health care. This could perhaps explain the rise in salaries in private practices in order to compete for the best and the brightest nurses. With the Accountable Care Act emphasizing community-based health, this trend is likely to continue.

Do any of you have any personal experience with salary hikes or reductions?

To read the full article from Healthcare Finance News, click here.