Virginia Richardson, DSL Alumna ('09)

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) alumna Dr. Virginia Richardson ('09) of Regent University's School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship (GLE) has been selected to present "Future Frontiers: A 'GEO' (Global Executive Officer) Primer for Healthcare Leaders" at the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) 2010 Congress on Healthcare Leadership to be held March 22-25 in Chicago, IL.

With two decades of experience in the healthcare industry, Richardson

became increasingly aware of globalization's impact on healthcare while a doctoral student at Regent.

"I came into the [DSL] program because I wanted to increase my understanding of strategic foresight, leadership, and industry-specific business acumen. GLE provided me with skills far beyond my expectation and helped me to understand globalization from a completely new perspective. My research led me to appreciate the critical importance of developing global leadership competencies among U.S. healthcare leaders."

Based on her extensive research regarding medical tourism, international provider accreditation and future trends in healthcare, Richardson's presentation will provide conference participants with an understanding of globalization, it's potential impact on healthcare delivery in the U.S. and what preparation measures and leadership competencies will be necessary.

While in the DSL program, Richardson majored in strategic foresight, which, according to Richardson, was critical in "how to look at forecasts far into the future to see where healthcare is going to be, not just in the next decade, but 20-30 years out. Foresight is simply invaluable!"

Richardson noted a huge surge in medical tourism over the past decade. "What this suggests is that international providers of health services have identified the vulnerability of the United States' health system as a potential market for their services, which could affect U.S. healthcare providers. Current trends suggest that patients seek increased value at reduced cost. With this in mind, globalization provides both challenges and opportunities for U.S. healthcare providers," she explained.

Richardson's goal is to challenge healthcare providers to move beyond their immediate concerns about healthcare reform to realize that the focus must shift toward positioning the U.S. healthcare system in light of globalization.

"Shifts in patient behavior and the increasing availability of cross-border healthcare options are just a few reasons why we need to be looking seriously at the globalization impact on healthcare," stated Richardson. "Specifically, conference participants will learn about the leadership competencies necessary to become a GEO (Global Executive Officer). The key question is, what is it going to take to lead U.S. health systems in a global healthcare theater?" She continued, "Globalization is going to be with us regardless of what model comes out of the current dialogue going on with healthcare reform."

Richardson has served in the healthcare industry since the early 1990s in positions including director of marketing for a nationally-owned psychiatric hospital network, principal in a private consulting firm, and executive director and CEO for a nonprofit organization focusing on improving healthcare access and developing strategic alliances among healthcare institutions and providers. She earned her Doctor of Strategic Leadership from GLE in 2009 and is currently a private consultant as well as an adjunct professor in GLE's Master of Arts in Strategic Foresight Program.

The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of more than 30,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE is known for its prestigious FACHE credential, signifying board certification in healthcare management, and its educational programs including the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,000 participants each year.

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About the School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship

The School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship (GLE) is one of seven graduate schools within Regent University and is located in Virginia Beach, Va. Offering fully-accredited master's and doctoral degrees in a flexible online format, GLE provides rigorous, yet innovative academic programs that can accommodate even the busiest professionals. For more information, visit www.regent.edu/global.