Healthcare leadership ethics: Time for some formal training

Clinical ethics and clinical ethics supports, particularly regarding resource allocation and end-of-life decisions, are well developed in our healthcare system and in most hospitals; this is not the case for the broader category of leadership ethics. Most health managers and executives regularly need to make leadership decisions/choices that require ethical reflection. Without formal training, regular practice, and broad discussion on this issue of leadership ethics, Canadian hospital leaders are increasingly finding their decisions questioned and often end up in the headlines after being judged as failing to make the ethical grade. This article discusses the importance leadership ethics in today's healthcare environment, examines some of the complex ethical challenges created by the current healthcare context and external environment, and then presents an argument for more formal and mandatory leadership ethics education for executives and other health leaders.