Understanding Private Healthcare
Course
This course provides healthcare and clinician leaders with an immersive, interactive learning experience to build the core knowledge and practical tools required to lead effectively within the private healthcare system. Using AIHE’s exclusive teaching methodology and trademarked material, the course draws on real-life case studies to explore the clinical, financial, governance, and medico-legal realities unique to the private sector. Participants will leave with a practical, ready-to-use toolkit to support confident decision-making, stronger clinical governance, and effective engagement with VMOs and key stakeholders in private healthcare.
ABOUT THE COURSE
Navigate Private Healthcare with Confidence.
Private healthcare is complex, commercial, and highly regulated— yet many healthcare and clinician leaders are expected to operate within it with little formal education on how the system actually works.
Decisions made in private healthcare sit at the intersection of clinical care, financial performance, insurer relationships, governance obligations, and medico-legal risk. When these elements are poorly understood, the consequences can be significant — for patient safety, clinician engagement, organisational sustainability, and personal accountability.
This interactive course is designed to cut through that complexity. It provides healthcare executives and clinician leaders with a clear, practical understanding of the private health system, how its key players interact, and how responsibilities differ from public sector models.
Focusing on the realities leaders face every day, this course equips participants with the knowledge, language, and confidence to lead safely, sustainably, and effectively within the private healthcare environment.
Is this program right for you?
The program is designed for
Healthcare executives and senior leaders
Medical leaders and clinician executives
VMOs stepping into leadership or governance roles
Clinical directors and heads of department
Leaders preparing for college or leadership exams involving private healthcare
- Emerging healthcare leaders
- Doctors, Nurses and Clinical Staff
Whether you come from a clinical or non-clinical background, this course builds your capability to manage the challenge of understanding the private healthcare system.
What will you learn?
This course provides healthcare and clinician leaders with an immersive, interactive learning experience to build the core knowledge and practical tools required to lead effectively within the private healthcare system.
Using AIHE’s exclusive teaching methodology and trademarked material, the course draws on real-life private healthcare case studies to explore the clinical, financial, governance, and medico-legal realities unique to the private sector.
Participants will leave with a practical, ready-to-use toolkit to support confident decision-making, stronger clinical governance, and effective engagement with VMOs and key stakeholders in private healthcare.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Understand the structure of the private health system and core knowledge required for working in the sector.
Identify the key players in private healthcare and how their roles and incentives intersect
Understand the insurer -provider relationship, including risks, tensions, and opportunities
Apply principles of clinical and corporate governance in a private healthcare context
Strengthen financial governance while maintaining quality and safety
Interpret and use data and KPIs across clinical, financial, and operational domains
Effectively engage VMOs in clinical governance, even without direct employment relationships
Recognise common medico-legal risks unique to private healthcare
Learn from real-life case studies that illustrate governance failures, successes, and lessons learned
What can you expect?
During this course you will undertake interactive working sessions facilitated by experienced healthcare leaders, alongside peer healthcare leaders.
Our courses are built on real-world healthcare leadership experience, not generic textbooks. Participants will work through real cases, executive dilemmas, and governance scenarios.
- Interactive masterclass format
- Real-world case studies and executive simulations
- Peer discussion with senior healthcare leaders
- Practical tools, templates, and governance frameworks
- Led by leaders with real private healthcare experience
- Designed for both clinicians and executives
- CPD certification on completion
Assessment and Awards
Participants who successfully complete the Practical Clinical Governance Course will receive the AIHE Certificate in Understanding Private Healthcare.
This course is eligible for CPD points.
Contact AIHE to find out more about our bespoke programs for healthcare leaders.
The Understanding Private Healthcare Course consists of 2 modules.
Masterclass - Consists of Module 1
Intensive Workshop - Consists of Modules 1 & 2
Learn more about each of the modules in our Understanding Private Healthcare Course below.
For any queries please contact us at enquiries@aihexec.com
Module 1
Health Leaders Role & Responsibilities in Private Healthcare Leadership
This Module covers the essential knowledge required by healthcare and clinician leaders working within the private healthcare system, including clinical, financial, governance, and medico-legal responsibilities unique to the private sector. It includes:
Understanding the structure of the private health system and the roles, incentives, and interactions of key players, including hospitals, insurers, VMOs, regulators, and boards.
Understanding the insurer – provider relationship, including funding models, health fund contracting, and implications for clinical decision-making.
Learning the principles of clinical and corporate governance within private healthcare organisations, including accountability, risk management, and board-level oversight.
Understanding financial governance in private healthcare, including revenue drivers, cost pressures, and the impact of clinical practice on financial sustainability.
Identifying and using data and KPIs to monitor clinical quality, financial performance, and operational outcomes.
Understanding how to engage VMOs in clinical governance, recognising the unique challenges of leading clinicians without direct employment relationships.
Exploring approaches to VMO performance monitoring that are effective, defensible, and consistent with private healthcare governance frameworks.
Identifying common medico-legal risks in private healthcare.
Learning from real-life private healthcare case studies.
Module 2
Toolkit for Navigating Private Healthcare Leadership
This Module provides healthcare and clinician leaders with a practical, applied toolkit for operating effectively within the private healthcare system. It moves beyond theory to focus on the real-world decisions, risks, and trade-offs leaders face, integrating clinical, financial, governance, and medico-legal perspectives specific to private healthcare. It includes:
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Navigating the insurer – provider relationship, including funding flows, contracting levers, common areas of dispute, and strategies for managing clinical and commercial tension.
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Using practical governance tools to strengthen clinical and corporate governance, including accountability, escalation, and reporting in private healthcare environments.
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Developing financial governance literacy for non-financial leaders, with practical tools to understand revenue drivers, cost pressures, margin sensitivity, and how clinical decisions impact financial sustainability.
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Using data and KPI dashboards to triangulate clinical quality, financial performance, and operational outcomes, into meaningful leadership action.
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Implementing practical strategies to engage VMOs in clinical governance.
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Identifying and managing medico-legal risk in private healthcare, using practical tools to respond to complaints, claims, credentialing concerns, scope-of-practice issues, and regulatory escalation.
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Working through real-life private healthcare case studies.
2 hour
Masterclasses
For a Foundational Understanding of this
topic register for the 2 hour Masterclasses.
This Masterclass covers Module 1 only.
4 hour
Intensive Workshops
For an In-depth Understanding of this topic register for the 4 hour Intensive Workshops.
This Intensive Workshop covers Modules 1 & 2.
Why AIHE Health Leadership Training?
Practical, Not Theoretical
Designed for Busy Healthcare Leaders
Customisable for Your Organisation
No Cookie-Cutter Approaches
Clinician-Led Faculty
Immediate Application with actionable tools
The AIHE Advantage
Our Institute values active listening, continuous reflection and authentic collaboration in partnering with our clients on their new healthcare directorship journey.
Customisable Programs
Our programs are fully customisable to suit you & your team's specific needs and challenges
Flexible Delivery
Face-to-Face, Hybrid & Online delivery with duration from 2 hr sessions, half-day workshops to multi-day retreats
AIHE Resource Hub
Access to an exclusively curated journal articles, newsletters, books, expert analysis & latest industry news
2026 Online Course Dates
WHEN
Tuesday 21 July 2026
6PM to 8PM AEDT
COST
AIHE Members $500 excl GST
Non-Members $550 excl GST
WHEN
Saturday 23 May 2026
10AM to 2PM AEDT
COST
AIHE Members $800 excl GST
Non-Members $880 excl GST