Healthcare Executives Appreciation Week is celebrated from June 6 to June 12 every year. This holiday shines a spotlight on healthcare executives and the work they do. Like any other industry, healthcare requires administrators, people who do the paperwork, plan the budgets, navigate bureaucratic red tape, and coordinate efforts between different departments. When it comes to the healthcare industry, most people focus on the frontline because doctors, nurses, technicians, and other specialized staff deal with patients. Few people know about the role of the executives, sequestered in their offices as they are — Healthcare Executives Appreciation Week aims to change this.
History of Healthcare Executives Appreciation Week
Healthcare administration is an overlooked but vital part of the field. Up until the 19th century, this role was essentially non-existent as the U.S. had not perfected organized healthcare systems yet. Things changed with the growth of modern hospitals and advancements in medical science. The health executives — or superintendents as people knew them back then — were graduate nurses who had worked their way up the administrative ladder. By 1916, more than half of these nurses belonged to the American Hospital Association. There were attempts to establish a formal system of training health executives specifically for the role of administrative work at hospitals, but they were largely unsuccessful.
In 1932 the Committee of the Cost of Medical Care (C.C.M.C.) stated that hospitals required direction from trained administrators. The C.C.M.C. argued that hospitals were not just medical institutions but also social and business enterprises. Therefore, they needed professionals capable of understanding and integrating the economic, professional, and social factors involved. The C.C.M.C. encouraged colleges and medical institutions to develop a formal training system for such professionals and develop this sector into a separate career path.
Two years after this statement, the University of Chicago introduced the first graduate program in Health Administration. Other universities followed suit — leading to more programs. Today, healthcare administration covers multiple departments that focus on improving healthcare management. Developing financing systems, human resource management, marketing, and planning have diversified career options. Every healthcare facility has healthcare administrators and executives, a testament to the importance of their role in the industry.
Healthcare Executives Appreciation Week timeline
The number of hospitals in the U.S. goes from 170 to more than 7,000, creating a critical need for healthcare executives.
The American College of Healthcare Executives is founded.
The University of Chicago rolls out its Health Administration graduate program.
More universities begin offering Health Administration programs, with more than 30 of them getting rolled out by the end of the 1960s.
Healthcare Executives Appreciation Week FAQs
What is the role of a healthcare executive?
Healthcare executives oversee daily administrative operations at hospitals and other healthcare facilities, planning and supervising all medical services, monitoring budgets, and updating patient health records.
How do you become a CEO of healthcare?
It takes years of medical and business management experience to be a hospital CEO; most have master’s degrees in healthcare administration and eight to 10 years of experience in their field.
Why do hospital CEOs make so much?
Hospital CEOs are well paid because of the large volume of patients who come to their facility, and higher compensation is tied to the number of occupied beds.
Healthcare Executives Appreciation Week Activities
Thank a healthcare executive
If you know any healthcare executives at your local clinics and hospitals, thank them for their work. Use the power of social media to broadcast your message to a broader audience with the hashtag #AppreciateHealthcareExecutives. This way, you share your gratitude and spread awareness simultaneously.
Talk about it with others
Many people don’t know about healthcare executives and their essential role in their industry. Take this week to educate others on their job and their impact on healthcare organizations. You can also hand out flyers and posters with bite-sized information and facts.
Volunteer at a hospital
For a more hands-on approach, consider volunteering at a local hospital. It’s a practical way to develop an understanding and appreciation for the work of healthcare providers, from doctors and nurses to administrators like healthcare executives.
5 Facts About Healthcare Executives
Competitive salaries
Healthcare executives are well paid because of their workload and responsibilities, with a median income of $99,730.
Endless career choices
Healthcare executives can work in consulting firms, insurance companies, hospitals, health centers, medical and diagnostic laboratories, research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies, to name a few.
More critical roles in the future
As the healthcare system grows more complex, with hospitals merging and technology playing an increasingly crucial role in healthcare provision, professionals need executives to help them understand how these changes impact the medical community, personnel, and patient care.
Counting the numbers
More than 50,000 healthcare administrators and around 6,000 hospital CEOs in the U.S.
The highest-paid healthcare CEO
Bernard Tyson earned nearly $18 million as the CEO of Kaiser Permanente, a nonprofit healthcare giant.
Why We Love Healthcare Executives Appreciation Week
Leaders and managers
Whether they’re hiring technicians, fundraising for building expansion, or maintaining vendor relationships for supplies, healthcare executives act as leaders and managers within their organization. They balance business acumen with a dedication to quality of care.
Keeping the public healthy
Health executives help educate the community about vital health issues. The programs and policies they implement help support clinicians and enhance their ability to diagnose patients, improving welfare for caregivers and the public.
Providing stability and compassion
Healthcare executives foster an organization’s ability to learn, adapt, evolve, and succeed. In times of crisis, health workers look to their administrators for cues on how to respond, something healthcare executives don’t get credited for enough.
Healthcare Executives Appreciation Week dates
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2025 | June 6 | Friday |
2026 | June 6 | Saturday |
2027 | June 6 | Sunday |
2028 | June 6 | Tuesday |
2029 | June 6 | Wednesday |