Because hospitals and doctors need a standardized way to assess their performance, knowledge management systems have become a significant tool for doing so in the health care industry. Those who design and implement such systems must address two key questions: How will the knowledge be managed and disseminated to hospitals and physicians, and how will the latter react to their performance evaluations?

Dana Forgione

   Dana Forgione, professor of accounting and director of the School of Accounting in the College, brought together a broad group of administrators from the health care industry to evaluate the way hosptital-based surgeons were affected by knowing the results of their performance assessments. Participants included medical doctors from the Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, and, in addition to Forgione, researchers included College faculty members Chih-Chen Lee, assistant professor of accounting; Krishnamurthy Surysekar, associate professor of accounting, and Te-Wei Wang, assistant professor of decision sciences and information systems. The results of their work, captured in "The Effects of Knowledge Management on Surgeon Behavior," were published last fall in the Journal of Health Care Finance.

   The study focused on assessments of surgeons in the three most-frequently performed and most costly surgical procedures at the subject hospital: colorectal surgery, major joint orthopedic surgery, and back and neck surgery. The assessments themselves were based on professional best practice standards, average length of inpatient hospital stay, and average cost of procedure and hospital care due to the procedure.

   After the research was conducted, encompassing more than a year's worth of collective effort, surgeons were presented with their performance efficiency evaluations, with benchmarked best practices, and with suggestions for improving their individual efficiency ratings. Each surgeon was shown his/her level of efficiency and the medical bills generated as a result of the procedures each performed in comparison with those of their peers.

   A year later, the researchers measured whether or not having received their efficiency ratings had had any effect on these surgeons' actual performance the following year. While they noted some differences, these were not consistent or substantial. For example, those surgeons who had received low performance efficiency ratings continued their low-performance the following year despite knowing they had received low performance ratings the year before.

   Researchers concluded that transferring knowledge to surgeons about their performance efficiency was not enough to provoke a significant change in their professional practices and behaviors.

   "Enhancing the knowledge transfer system to include rewards or incentives for performance improvement may perhaps yield more changes in behavior among surgeons," Forgione said. "It's an issue we will examine in future research."

   While this initial study has been an exploratory one, it gives health care administrators knowledge "to consider when contemplating or designing a program to promote practice efficiency and reduce practice variation among their institutions' attending surgeons." It also may have implications for other organizations seeking to develop knowledge management systems used to measure and enhance performance.

.: Executive MBA students travel to China and Hong Kong.

  The Executive MBA program's Pembroke Pines class traveled to China in January for an eight-day stint that took them to Beijing, China's political capital; Shanghai, its commercial capital, and Hong Kong, its special administrative region. This trip marked the Executive MBA program's first significant visit to mainland China. Last year, approximately ten Executive MBA students traveled to Hong Kong and to Shenzen and Guangzhou in China.

  "China was the largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2004, surpassing the U.S," said Professor Sumit Kundu, who accompanied the groups. "It has become the manufacturing capital of the world, and the United States' increased trade deficit with China has been of concern to policy makers."

  Participants this year met with several multinational corporations and local companies to get a deeper understanding of the Chinese business environment and to build networks that will benefit their respective companies back home. Several Executive MBA alumni accompanied the group on this most recent trip.

  While Executive MBA classes have taken international trips for years, the Pines class this year is the first one to go on an international trip as a required rather than an optional part of the program. It follows their fourth quarter, known as the international quarter, during which they study international business and global finance and concentrate on emerging markets and transition economies (China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, etc.).

  "Corporations based in South Florida can expand their businesses in a big way provided they understand the intricacies and nuances of doing international business in the above-mentioned countries," Kundu said.

  In addition to making the international trip a mandatory component, the program now starts a new class or "cohort" two times per year—in the spring in Pembroke Pines and in the fall at University Park. Rather than its former 21-month length, the program now can be completed in just 18 months with the class schedule having been changed to Friday nights from 4:30-9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m.-5:50 p.m. Admission requirements have remained the same: students must possess eight years of experience with five years in a management position.

  This summer, the University Park class will travel to India, where they'll visit Bombay, Bangalore and New Delhi. For more information about the Executive MBA, visit http://emba.fiu.edu.

.: College dedicates Dean's Council Wall during special reception.

   An intimate celebration for the College's Dean's Council members on Thursday, January 6, marked the official dedication of the new Dean's Council Wall encircling the middle of the lobby in the Ryder Business Building. The plaques pay tribute to the Council's significant role in helping the College advance its strategic vision and mission and meet its goals and objectives.

   During the event, members of the Dean's Council were recognized by Executive Dean Joyce Elam and President Modesto Maidique. Dean's Council Chairman Angel Medina, Jr., (BA '92), president of Union Planters Bank (now Regions Bank) in Miami-Dade, extended the Council's thanks for this important tribute and, most importantly, for the opportunity to contribute to the success of the business school.

.: New business building complex will be unveiled on March 10.

   Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the College—all Florida International University "stars"—are counting down the days until the "Evening of Stars" on March 10, when the new business building complex will be unveiled and the public phase of the College's Building for Business campaign will be launched. FIU President Modesto Maidique and College Executive Dean Joyce J. Elam will recognize key donors to date and the program will "star" light all those who have contributed to the building complex project to date. The climax of the event will feature the newest "star:" the new business building complex itself, projected to be completed in 2007.

   "It promises to be an exciting milestone in the life of the College," Elam said. "We're grateful to all who are helping bring our dream to fruition and look forward to growing the number of those who want to leave a lasting legacy on the new complex."

   The "Evening of Stars" will be hosted by FIU alumnus Ivan Taylor, of Telemundo 51, and will feature a performance by Nestor Torres with the FIU Jazz Band. Outback Steakouse is sponsoring the buffet reception.

.: College appoints new director of marketing and corporate relations.

   College Executive Dean Joyce J. Elam recently appointed Luis Casas to serve as director of marketing and corporate relations for the College. In this position, he will work closely with Assistant Dean for Communication, Publications and Public Relations Sally Gallion in broadening awareness of the College's top-quality programs, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and business partners and in helping grow its enrollment.

Luis Casas

   Casas said he's very excited to be a member of the "dynamic, entrepreneurial leadership team" in the College.

   "The quality of our faculty and programs is widely recognized in the academic and business communities," he said, "and I sincerely look forward to developing and implementing marketing strategies that will solidify our position as a leader in international business education."

   Previously, Casas served as vice president of marketing at The History Channel and A&E Latin America, based in Miami. During his nearly 20-year career in marketing and business development, Casas has built a broad international background and has created and implemented successful integrated marketing communication strategies with companies including The Walt Disney Company, Mead School and Office Products, Venepal (Venezuela's largest pulp and paper company), and Arthur D. Little Consulting.

   Casas has a Master's degree in Management from the Sloan School at MIT and graduated cum laude as a Systems Engineer from the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela.