Leading Through Change in a Healthcare Delivery Setting

Abstract

Planned and unplanned changes in healthcare organizations can be very challenging to lead through. While unplanned changes occur constantly, usually going unnoticed, they tend to require minimum leadership. However, planned change, such as restructuring units or merging multiple organizations, requires high levels of leader engagement. In our literature search, we found a dearth of empirical research documenting how healthcare system leaders lead through change. We sought to fill this gap by researching how the leaders in a healthcare delivery system lead through change. Using a descriptive phenomenology methodology to describe the lived experiences of the leaders, we interviewed ten healthcare system administrators to document their preparation to lead, their leadership philosophy, their leadership priorities, and their navigation of barriers.