At age 35, and with little experience as a manager, Mitch Rabkin became CEO of Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital and began an intense process of learning. Over thirty years, he and his team worked to transform Harvard-affiliated BI (now, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) into a world-class teaching hospital, research institution and regional healthcare network. Enriched by on-the-job study and reflection on organizations and their management, Dr. Rabkin offers practical examples valuable to all managers and those who aspire to that role.
About the Author
A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, Mitchell T. Rabkin, M.D. trained at Massachusetts General Hospital where he then practiced internal medicine before moving across town to Beth Israel Hospital as CEO. During three decades guiding the institution, he created a rich environment for both patient care and scholarship, encouraging professional development and personal gratification of staff and employees at all levels. Now retired as Professor of Medicine at Harvard, Dr. Rabkin is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Reviews
"An engaging book that chronicles how this physician-teacher-leader's experience informed his journey as a successful CEO. Offering real-life reflections and anecdotes, it shares valuable insights illuminating how Dr. Rabkin led Beth Israel Hospital to become one of the leading academic medical centers in the world. As a young hospital executive who learned and incorporated so many of his principles, values, role modeling and actions, I attribute the accomplishments and joy of my own leadership journey to this remarkable physician CEO."
Sandra L. Fenwick, AB, MPH
Former CEO, Boston Children's Hospital
"There is much wisdom here. Dr. Rabkin has written an important book on effective management drawing on more than three decades of experience as a thoughtful CEO. He combines the telling of fascinating stories with a thorough understanding of the literature on organizational effectiveness, resulting in a valuable guide for leaders across all sectors of our economy."
Robert B. McKersie, MBA, DBA
Society of Sloan Fellows Professor (Emeritus), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"Being a nurse at Beth Israel was transformative. As a new graduate, I could sense momentum and possibilities under the leadership of Mitch Rabkin and Joyce Clifford. We were expected to be scientific and analytic in the context of our caring mission as nurses. I loved it and thrived there.",
Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN
President, John A. Hartford Foundation
Formerly, Distinguished Professor and Dean, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University
Formerly, Elaine Perkins McGriff Professor of Nursing and Founding Dean, New York University College of Nursing
"Dynamics of the academic medical center are complex. Attention to operational detail, respect for tradition, celebration of employees, success in care/education/research, and leadership reminded me why I joined Beth Israel. Dr. Rabkin makes vivid much of the history and culture so important to institutional identity."
John D. Halamka, MD, MS
President, Mayo Clinic Platform
Michael D. Brennan MD President's Strategic Initiative Professor
"... a must read by anyone aspiring to be, or who already is the leader of an organization -- not just an academic medical center, but any organization. Having been appointed at the uncommonly early age of 35 to take over the reins of a major Boston teaching hospital, and having
remained in that position for over 30 years, Dr. Rabkin is uniquely positioned to tell us what it takes to mold a complex institution into a collaborative "family" focused on a public mission. This is a masterly guide to the temperament, values and humility needed to inspire a widely diverse workforce to achieve outstanding performance."
Former President and CEO, Association of American Medical Colleges
Former Chair, Arnold P. Gold Foundation (for Humanism in Medicine)
Former Dean and Professor of Medicine, Medical School, State University of New York at Stony Brook
