SUNY Empire Professor Published in Journal of Health Organization and Management

SUNY Empire Professor Alan Belasen's research paper “The Physician CEO Advantage and Hospital Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Capacity Utilization and Patient Satisfaction” with was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Health Organization and Management. Co-authored with his son Ari Belasen, Professor Belasen's article is an important contribution to identifying why certain hospitals performed well during covid and others did not.  The two have collaborated on a number of peer-reviewed journal articles and presentations. 

The abstract appears below:

Purpose:  Prior studies have shown that physician-led hospitals have several advantages over non-physician-led hospitals. This study seeks to test whether these advantages also extend to periods of extreme disruptions such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, which affect bed availability and hospital utilization. 

Design/Methodology:  We utilize a bounded Tobit estimation to identify differences in patient satisfaction rates and in hospital utilization rates of top-rated hospitals in the United States. 

Findings:  We find that among top-rated U.S. hospitals, those that are physician-led achieve higher patient satisfaction ratings and are more likely to have higher utilization rates.   

Originality: The paper reviews prior research on physician leadership and adds further insight into the crisis leadership literature. We provide evidence based on quantitative data analysis that during the COVID-19 Pandemic, physician-led of top-rated U.S. hospitals experienced an improvement in operating efficiency.   

Research Limitations/Implications:  While the COVID-19 Pandemic generated greater demand for inpatient beds, physician-led hospitals improved their hospitals’ capacity utilization as compared with those led by non-physician leaders. A longitudinal study to show the change over the years and whether physician CEOs are more likely to improve their hospitals’ ratings compared to non-physician CEOs is highly recommended. 

Practical Implications:  Recruiting and retaining physicians to lead hospitals, especially during disruptions, improve hospital’s operating efficiency and enhance patient satisfaction.