More than medicine. Interview by Chris Serb.

For all the business savvy demanded by their work as hospital CEO, info tech chief, or entrepreneur, these doctors say it's their medical background that gives them an edge. They know the needs and routines of physicians firsthand. They come to their jobs with built-in credibility as clinicians. And they understand what it means to care for patients. "It's hard for me to know how we're doing," says one hospital CEO, "if I'm sitting in my office all the time."