1. You are talking with the superintendent of schools in your HCO’s com- munity, who is a potential governing board member. Explain to her the HCO’s human resource strategy, assuming that the HCO implements the Well-Managed Healthcare Organization/Baldrige approach. 

2. The school superintendent is interested in diversity. Explain to her why some ethnic groups, women, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community are often underrepresented in leadership in HCOs generally, and describe the steps that are recommended to improve diversity. 

3. The local news calls, having found the HCO’s IRS Form 990. The reporter notes that the CEO and several employed physicians are listed with generous compensation, many multiples of the community’s median family income. She’d like an explanation of the HCO’s policy. What’s the best answer? What are the key takeaways you want the reporter to put in her story? 

4. The HR functions in exhibit 11.2 cost a lot of money. Ten days of training will add 4 percent to payroll if the workers are replaced on the job. Gener- ous benefits will add 5–10 percent of base pay over the minimum set. Service recovery adds a small cost, as does employee counseling. A board member on the finance committee says, “We’ve gone too far with this. We have to cut back to protect our income for expansion and debt service.” How should senior leadership respond? 

5. Suppose you accepted a senior leadership role in an HCO that was in trouble on many of the strategic scorecard measures in exhibit 3.4. Your due diligence before accepting suggested that a solid market exists; the HCO’s problems are the result of ineffective leadership and can be corrected. Where would you start? What are the key steps for a successful recovery strategy?