Editorial

Citation

Bowerman, J. (2007), "Editorial", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 20 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/lhs.2007.21120aaa.001

Editorial

Welcome to this first issue of the newly re-launched Leadership in Health Services. In uniquely identifying leadership as one of the major issues, if not the major issue, in health services, Emerald’s announcement that it has expanded the editorial team and the scope of this journal is exciting news. The global leadership aspects of health services are increasingly touching every aspect of our lives – our aim with Leadership in Health Services is to provide a major forum to publish leading health services research, and to facilitate knowledge transfer and exchange to help to bridge the gap between research and practice in healthcare management and leadership.

In our experience, when separate groups of people start to share and exchange their knowledge and practices, then there is room for tremendous improvement in innovation and operational efficiency. This is especially true of modern health care systems that are so vast and complex and which consume so much of our respective gross national products. Leadership in Health Services, designed to publish best practice, is one means of disseminating and sharing up to date, practical, and relevant information in a timely way. As such, it is our intention to build it as an essential resource for all those who run or are involved in our healthcare systems, or are recipients of their services.

What are the steps in making this possible?

First, we have redefined and expanded the scope of the journal. The intended scope includes but is not limited to the following aspects of leadership and health:

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  new models of clinical leadership;

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  strategic management within healthcare organisations;

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  leadership training and development;

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  mentoring, coaching and succession planning;

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  resourcing and resource constraints;

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  public health challenges – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis;

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  collaboration – communication strategies and the multidisciplinary team;

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  integrated care pathways;

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  performance accountability;

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  ethics;

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  organisational learning and performance;

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  technology;

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  community health programmes;

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  improving patient care and services through effective management practices;

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  crisis management;

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  personal leadership;

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  patient expectations; and

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  patient as leader.

Next, we have a broad editorial board representing health institutions and organisations from both Europe and North America. The individuals on this board are admirably qualified as leaders and health specialists, and we are proud that they will be representing our journal at conferences, and acting as peer reviewers for the contributions we are already beginning to receive.

As well, we have an editorial team comprising Jo-Lamb White – a consultant in the UK with vast experience in this field, and myself, a consultant and wandering academic with a particular interest in leadership and action learning, living in Western Canada. Together with our Emerald publisher Vicky Williams, we have been learning to pool our respective strengths and working together to rebuild this journal to where it needs to be.

The results of our teamwork can be found in this first issue. We have well written articles representing a broad spectrum of subject areas. These are:

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  an article documenting the impact of the lean manufacturing process when applied over a period of time in a French hospital;

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  the particular leadership and management skills needed to ensure the effective integration of foreign trained nurses into American hospital systems;

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  a model to assist physicians who may be interested in transitioning their careers into other areas;

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  a research article documenting the limited effect human resource practices can have on hospital morale; and

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  a continuation of Tolga Taner’s ideas on medical imaging systems and quality.

All of these touch on major themes in health service leadership today.

Jo, Vicky and I trust that you will find this journal a useful tool in the ongoing development of leaders and leadership practices in your respective worlds. A better understanding of the ongoing work in health services, the development of new partnerships, and the development of dynamic and capable leaders are outcomes we all have a vested interest in creating. We look forward to your input and ongoing contributions to this new and leading edge initiative.

Jennifer Bowerman