CPE Healthcare Leadership & Strategy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A hospital CEO wants to reduce 30-day readmission rates. Which strategic approach best addresses this at the systems level?
- Hire more hospitalists
- Implement a care transitions program with post-discharge follow-up (Correct answer)
- Increase inpatient length of stay
- Outsource discharge planning to a third party
Correct answer: Implement a care transitions program with post-discharge follow-up
Care transitions programs that include post-discharge follow-up calls, medication reconciliation, and primary care linkage directly reduce readmission rates.
Question 2: A physician executive is applying Kotter's 8-step change model. Which step comes immediately after 'creating a guiding coalition'?
- Generate short-term wins
- Consolidate gains
- Develop a vision and strategy (Correct answer)
- Communicate the change vision
Correct answer: Develop a vision and strategy
In Kotter's model, step 3 (developing a vision and strategy) follows step 2 (creating a guiding coalition) before communication begins.
Question 3: Which financial metric best indicates a hospital's ability to meet short-term obligations?
- Operating margin
- Days cash on hand
- Current ratio (Correct answer)
- Debt-to-equity ratio
Correct answer: Current ratio
The current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) directly measures a hospital's ability to cover short-term obligations.
Question 4: A health system is evaluating a merger. Which strategic framework is MOST useful for assessing external market forces?
- SWOT analysis
- Porter's Five Forces (Correct answer)
- Balanced scorecard
- PDCA cycle
Correct answer: Porter's Five Forces
Porter's Five Forces analyzes competitive dynamics including supplier power, buyer power, threat of substitutes, new entrants, and rivalry, making it ideal for market assessment.
Question 5: A physician leader is experiencing conflict between two department heads. Which leadership style is MOST effective for facilitating resolution?
- Autocratic
- Laissez-faire
- Transformational with mediation skills (Correct answer)
- Transactional with punitive measures
Correct answer: Transformational with mediation skills
Transformational leadership combined with mediation facilitates mutual understanding and collaborative problem-solving, which is most effective for interpersonal conflict.
Question 6: A CMO notices that physician satisfaction scores have dropped 15% over six months. What is the FIRST recommended action?
- Implement a new compensation model
- Conduct structured listening sessions with physicians (Correct answer)
- Mandate wellness programs
- Outsource physician recruiting
Correct answer: Conduct structured listening sessions with physicians
Before intervening, leaders must understand root causes through structured listening to ensure any solution addresses the actual drivers of dissatisfaction.
Question 7: Which governance structure best supports physician engagement in strategic planning at a large academic medical center?
- Executive-only strategy committee
- Physician advisory council integrated into board committees (Correct answer)
- Annual physician town hall only
- Independent medical staff bylaws committee
Correct answer: Physician advisory council integrated into board committees
A physician advisory council integrated into board committees ensures physicians have meaningful input into decisions while maintaining governance accountability.
CPE Healthcare Leadership & Strategy 2
A hospital CEO wants to reduce 30-day readmission rates.
Which strategic approach best addresses this at the systems level?