International Relations Negotiation Role-Play: St. Francis Hospital and the Managed Medical Model

A hospital in a large urban center is struggling to improve patient care, meet financial obligations, and resolve inter-professional differences. A new Medical Management Model, under which physicians assume responsibility and accountability for the operation of all medical services, has been developed by the Chief of Medicine. The CEO and Chief Financial Officer have both supported the model, as well as the new Management Information System on which it rests. Other members of the hospital community–most notably the Vice President for Nursing and the most senior Attending Physician–are either opposed to its adoption or determined to obtain some compensating benefits if they go along with it. The CEO has called a meeting of these five major players to see if they can reach agreement on four issues facing the Executive and the Board of Directors. If the CEO cannot obtain agreement on a package, the Board will make decisions on these issues; none of the managers would be happy with that outcome.