C U R R E N T   R E L E A S E
August 13, 1999

Rotman Helps Ailing Health Care Sector With Leading-Edge Management Education

TORONTO — As Canada's health care sector goes through a period of intense change and transition, the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management has stepped forward with an innovative suite of programs aimed at helping health care executives tackle the problems facing the industry.
           "The Rotman School felt it was critical that we bring our management education expertise to the table to a sector undergoing considerable upheaval," says Jim Fisher, associate dean for Rotman's executive education programs. "We've identified a demand for modern management training in the business of health care, and the industry has responded with enthusiasm."
           In June, Rotman announced a groundbreaking partnership with Harvard University in support of a new program for Canadian physicians and health care executives, entitled "Understanding the New World of Health Care". Participants in this intensive one-week program attend sessions designed to provide them with new insights for understanding and contributing to the development of the Canadian health care system. Sessions cover such topics as Management Issues in the Restructuring of the Health Care Sector; Making Mergers Work; Public/Private Partnerships in Health Care Delivery and Anatomy of Health Care Funding.
           Demand for the inaugural offering of the program in late June was so great that a second offering has been scheduled for October 1999. In addition to Harvard's Division of Health Policy Research & Education, Rotman partnered with other U of T faculties and departments to ensure a cross-disciplinary perspective.
           "Learning from professionals and academics with experience in the sector and the business community was one of the greatest advantages of the Rotman program," says Marcy Saxe-Braithwaite, Corporate Director of Professional Practice, Staff Training and Development at the Lakeridge Health Corporation in Oshawa, Ontario. "It has given me a better understanding of how to manage successfully within the unique context of the Canadian health care system."
           With a MSc in Nursing, Marcy considered pursuing her PhD but decided last year that further business education would be more valuable in her career. She enrolled in Rotman's prestigious Executive MBA program, a two-year intensive course designed for working professionals with more than twelve years' work experience. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of applicants from the health care sector to this program. Joseph Mapa, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, is currently halfway through the degree program. "Having survived the first year of the program, its value has become apparent in a number of ways -- from the content, to the quality of faculty, student interchange, ambiance and, very importantly, the application of key insights to a transforming healthcare field," says Mapa.
           Mapa explains that he took on the Executive MBA challenge for as many personal reasons as professional, including a desire to stay current, be challenged and to be a good role model for his three teenaged children. But learning how to benchmark the progress of the hospital is just as important. "While health care doesn't operate in a free market framework, the challenges, uncertainties and accountabilities are very similar. In a rapidly evolving healthcare climate, it is imperative that executives in this field are tuned in to key concepts such as market segmentation and strategic alignment. Cross-referencing with private sector models has been extremely useful."
           Health Care professionals are also attracted to the Rotman School's Advanced Program in Managing Strategic Change. The course is the only one of its kind in Canada, providing comprehensive training for executives and consultants in developing and leading major change initiatives.
           "With the unprecedented pace of change in today's health care sector, the senior executive who is able to anticipate needs, develop sound strategies and implement them smoothly is well-equipped to face the evolving structures of health care delivery," says Fisher. "Health care executives are increasingly seeking the tools that will help them make the right decisions within a very difficult environment."
           The program is delivered in an innovative modular format in which participants gather for four in-class sessions over seven months. In between modules, participants work on real-time change scenarios within their own organizations, providing an opportunity to apply learning on the job.
           Looking ahead to yet more changes on the health care front, the Rotman School is currently developing a new program entitled Advanced Program in Management for Pharmacists, scheduled to be offered in Spring 2000.

For more information:

Ken McGuffin Media Relations Officer Rotman School of Management Voice | (416) 946-3818 Fax | (416) 978-1373 E-mail | mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca

Julie Dossett Manager, Communications Rotman School of Management Voice | (416) 978-1985 Fax | (416) 971-2866 E-mail | dossett@rotman.utoronto.ca

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