ABSTRACT
Fundamental shifts have occurred in the way that healthcare is delivered, according to Kathleen Montgomery, PhD. She points out that changes have come about in the way healthcare decisions are determined (from physicians' experience to clinical protocols and evidence-based medicine) and accessed. Current political and economic pressures in healthcare are challenging physicians' long-cherished claims to professional dominance, autonomy, and self-regulation. Physicians are often characterized as individuals who routinely "pester" administrators for resources they feel they deserve. Physician leaders who are attempting to convince administrators to address unmet needs of the medical community may be blocked by stereotyping that hinders their credibility with administrators. Not all physicians are discouraged, cynical, or exhausted by the complex issues inherent in our current healthcare system. Some are actually energized by the challenges, and invigorated by the possibilities. Employees still need us to help them do clinical research, or healthcare administration.
