Studies of health executives in Canada: a review and comparison

There are a limited number of national studies of health executives in Canada and the few that do exist are not well known to the average executive. In this article, these studies are reviewed, and the demographic findings of three more recent studies are compared in respect to hospital CEOs. Three potential trends are noted: an upward shift in level of education of CEOs, with a steady but not increasing representation of M.H.S./M.H.S.A. graduates; a decreasing length of tenure in hospital CEO positions with evidence of recent turnover in many CEO positions; and a continuing male dominance in hospital CEO positions. It is suggested that the implications of these trends should be considered as they apply to the education of health executives and as they affect the effectiveness of healthcare.