EAHM - European Association of Hospital Managers

Intro, Organisation, Objectives, Statutes

Introduction

The European Association of Hospital Managers (EAHM) has been founded in 1970 under French law. It is the umbrella association for 28 hospital management associations in 25 European countries representing over 16,000 individual members. The EAHM serves explicitly and exclusively the public interest. It does not pursue any political, economical nor confessional goals.

The EAHM is one of the world's largest hospital management associations. It represents both the hospital managers of public and private hospitals in the European Union and at international level.Targeting at the construction of a social Europe, the EAHM elaborates proposals regarding the hospital sector to the European authorities.

The EAHM is also an interlocutor for the health care industry.

Organisation

The bodies of the association are:

• The General Assembly: The General Assembly is composed of ordinary and associate members. Ordinary members are eligible to vote. Each country represented has 4 votes. It takes place once a year at different locations at one of the member countries. The General Assembly is the supreme body of the EAHM. It approves the accounts and the budget. It elects the members of the Executive Committee and the Board as well as the Presidents and Vice-Presidents. It speaks also out on the planned activities and on issues of hospitals and their management.
  
• The Executive Committee: The Executive Committee works by order of the General Assembly and has to give account to it. The members of the Executive Committee are appointed for a term of four years by the General Assembly. The Executive Committee meets at least twice a year.
  
• The Board: The Board consists of the President, the Vice President and three other members as well as the Secretary General with a consultative voice.The Board is elected every 4 years by the Executive Committee.
• The President
• The Secretary General: He is appointed by the Executive Committee for a term of 5 years. He coordinates the daily operation of the EAHM and renders account to the Board.

The advisory bodies: three advisory committees and two working groups have been create to handle current issues:

• Scientific Subcommittee
• Subcommittee on 'European Affairs'
• Editorial board
• Psychiatric Working Party
• Working Party Hospital IT-managers

Objectives

The EAHM sets itself following objectives:

• to promote the professional competence and responsibility of managers and senior employees in hospital and public health management in the European countries;
• to foster the growing together of the hospital systems of the European countries as the basis for the construction of a Social Europe.
• to seek to influence European Union legislation affecting the hospital sector;
• to collectively represent the hospital management profession and its interests in the competent European organisations and international bodies.

Statutes

Please click this link to be redirected to the statutes

EAHM is composed of full members and associate members

Discussion Themes

The job responsibilities of the hospital managers and CEOs are broad and cover many topics. These are partly addressed in various ways in the different European countries. It is therefore interesting to learn from each other. The EAHM offers for this a discussion and exchange forum.

Here are some of the topics under discussion:

• Defining the mission and the vision of the hospital
• Strategic planning, given the changing needs and (legislative and financial) framework
• The guidance of the social legitimacy of the hospital, especially the accessibility for patients and fair treatment of all patients
  
• The justification of the achieved clinical and financial performance of the hospital and giving account to the higher authorities and the public
• The evaluation of management
• The content and concept of public-relations and internal communications
• The complaint and conflict management
• Appointment, dismissal and management of hospital physicians
• Setting remuneration and/or fees of hospital physicians and other staff
• Management of purchases and investments as well as their financial models

In addition, there are some European topics that are worth knowing, or are already influencing the national framework:

• the diversity of health care systems and cultures
• best practice and excellence within European health care systems
• the European economical market and the Social Europe
• patient mobility and cross-border cooperation
• the strong interest of Europe in quality of live and environment.

From this enumeration, the following themes have been chosen :

• Quality Management
• Private and public hospitals
• Hospital governance

Quality Management

The improving quality of care is done through Quality management. Quality management can be described as "'a procedure explicitly designed to monitor, assess and improve the quality of care', for example peer review, patient satisfaction surveys, complaints handling, audits, compiling a quality manual, etc".

Common components found in Quality Management systems are:

• Indicators & standards
• Evaluation process: Internal / External
• Improvement process

Regarding the indicators & standards, European (framework of ) standards can be of great help in developing and implementing standards.

The principal models of external evaluation are:

• Medical speciality-driven visitation
• European Quality Awards based on the model of the European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM)
• Certification using International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) standards
• Traditional accreditation against explicit standards

EAHM calls for a "European Accreditation Model". This European Accreditation Model

• …is not about a fully-fledged harmonisation of healthcare practices, but a gradual alignment
• …has the aim of defining and sharing best practice and defining relevant guidelines
• …can encompass differences but not contradictions in systems
• focuses on the continuous improvement of quality standards in Europe and reduces existing variations in quality

Hospital Governance in Europe

The economic crisis and several scandals have increased recently the interest of the public in the corporate governance. In health care, governance is since long a crucial element in the organisation and management of hospitals. Given the evolution of health care and the specific situation of hospitals, EAHM has taken the topic of hospital governance on its agenda.

Two directions has been followed until now.

1. The topic of hospital governance needs more in-depth analysis. Therefore EAHM supported the research in this field through its scientific subcommittee.
2. Creating awareness and dissemination of scientific results through our magazine "Hospital" and our congress.

Further actions are in discussion. We invite our members to share their views in this field.

Public & private cooperation

The Context

Most countries in Europe have evolved to a mixed system with 2 or 3 types of hospitals: public, private not-for profit and private for profit hospitals.
Hospital managers in the different countries throughout Europe each have their own experiences with public and private activities. Private hospitals are often obliged to take part in the public service while public hospitals are trying to develop private activities to remain within their budget.
Hospital managers also come under different pressures, from financial constraints to external accountability.

Therefore benchmarking could prove extremely useful for hospital managers. It would be interesting for hospital managers to benchmark the different possibilities for organising the current and future delivery of care in their hospitals.

What are the differences (and impact) on the level of quality, equity, budget etc? What is the best solution for the patient? Is outsourcing of specific activities in public hospitals a good solution? What is the best evolution for organising healthcare given the financial crisis? What is the impact of the financial crisis on the working conditions for private and public hospitals?

Past activities

• Articles in (E)Hospital
• Seminar 2009
  

Current activities

The Subcommittee European Affairs is preparing a position paper for our Executive Committee.