This study purports to investigate the determinants of individual personnel rating of the employees at a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. The sample used in this study consisted of 63 nurses, 41 para-medical staff (Clinical Pathologist, and Radiologist), and 67 administrative staff. Independent variables of the study included the achievement level of the selection test (English, major subject, and interview), post-entrance development factors (education and training, career development, supervisory support, co-worker support, and organizational support), and demographic characteristics. Data for the achievement level of the entrance exam and years for the first promotion were collected from the administrative records of the study hospital, while data for the post-entrance development factors were collected from the survey with self-administered questionnaires using 5-point Likert Scale during June 10-25, 2003. Collected data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. The results of the study showed that achievement level of the interview and English exam at the selection test, education and training, organizational support, and supervisory support while working at the hospital, and length of duration (below 8 years) and educational background (4-year college graduates) among demographic variables had significant positive effects on the personnel rating. The results of the study imply that hospital administrators should make an effort to improve the validity of the selection test, and to motivate the employees to receive more education and training.

Despite of increasing importance of management in healthcare administration and demand for the professional managers in hospitals, there have been few studies on the issues of competencies and qualifications of mid-managers for effective role performance. This article uses hospital mid-managers' judgements to discuss them in Korean hospital settings. Based on 67 questionnaires completed through the mail survey, the data were analyzed by chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, and logistic regression. The result shows that knowledge of management skills in healthcare field is the most necessary area in general. Specifically, 'problem-solving ability' is the most important competency, followed by communication and planning capabilities. The mid-managers tend to consider the hospital employment history more important than the academic level. They also present the willingness to recruit the candidates with bachelor degrees rather than those with master or Ph.D. degrees. It is suggested that the candidate with bachelor degree and hospital employment over 6 to 10 years is the most qualified for a mid-manager in hospitals. The study results presented in the paper will provide the direction to improve the educational program and also the insights toward a advising strategy for job consultation for students majored in health service administration.

The purpose of this study was to analyze related factors affecting profitability on general hospitals(300-499 beds). The data were derived from survey by the Korean Hospital Association on 33 hospitals during 10 years (from 1993 to 2002). Profitability was measured by 3 ratios - net profit to total assets, normal profit to total assets and operating margin to gross revenue - as dependent variables. Independent variables were classified by general factors (ownership, number of bed, period of establishment, region), financial factors (total asset turnover, current ratio, liabilities to total assets, personnel costs per operation profit, material costs per operation profits), productivity index(number of daily patient per nurse), the score of quality assurance activity and the time lag score. Multiple regression model was used in this study. First, Number of bed, region was not statistically significant for profitability. But ownership was affect positively to normal profit to total assets and operating margin to gross revenue. Private hospitals had higher profitability than that of public hospitals Second, the score of quality assurance activity was not statistically significant to profitability. Third, Those hospitals having more daily patient per nurse had significantly higher profitability than the others. Fourth, Those hospitals having higher proportion in total asset turnover had significantly higher profitability than other hospitals. But liabilities to total assets and liquidity ratio had no difference to the profitability. Those hospitals having higher proportion in personnel costs and material costs per operation profits had significantly lower hospital profitability than others.

To compare differences of LOS between the group of inpatients via referral centers(the referral group) and the group of inpatients via different routes (the general group) and analyze factors which determine the difference. The 9,484 cases of newly inpatients of Mar., Jun., Sep., Dec. of year 2003 were used for the data. We calculate the Case-mix index of length of stay($CMI_{LOS}$) to compare LOS adjusted with the disease as the ratio of a patient' LOS to all patients' average LOS by 21 classification diagnosis group. We conducted t-test to compare differences of $CMI_{LOS}$ between two groups and multiple regression to analyze factors determining the difference. $CMI_{LOS}$ was 0.94 in the referral group, which was smaller than 1.01 in the general group. LOS was 7.5days in the referral group, which was 0.6day shorter than that in the general group. Multiple regression also showed that $CMI_{LOS}$ was smaller in the referral group than in the general group after controlling patients' general characteristics, diagnostic information variables. The referral centers can be said to playa role in decreasing LOS. We suggest that variety of depth studies on referral centers should be continued at the strategic level of hospital management using additional medical informations.