In this module I will lead you into the exciting and rapidly changing world of the Acute Care Hospitals. We will discuss the various types of hospitals in the US including community hospitals and specialized hospitals. We will also dissect the hospital as an organization through the lenses of org structure, humans, services and performance measurement. Throughout this module I will also cover the challenges facing the hospitals in the US and the innovations that they are leading through continuous quality improvement.

In this module I will review post-acute care with you, i.e. care for patient after discharge from the acute care in the hospital. We will discuss the various post acute care providers and how they are organized. We will also examine how post acute care providers are measured, what challenges they face and what innovations they are leading.

In this module I will review the various types of physician practices and clinics. These include primary care physicians and specialty care physicians and their clinics. We will review how the various physicians are organized, how their performance is measured, how they get paid and also what challenges they face and what innovations they are leading. Welcome to the exciting world of physicians!

As a way to wrap up this course, I will discuss some key stakeholders and their roles in influencing the healthcare delivery system and providers such as pharmaceutical and device companies, employers etc. I will then share some innovations in healthcare that I have personally experienced in order to showcase how the delivery providers are constantly improving the delivery model. Finally, I will offer some closing reflections and highlight some leadership skills that I have found essential in emerging healthcare leaders.