Physician leadership, which has always played a role in the alignment between hospital administration the medical staff, will become increasingly important as hospitals and health systems around the country embark on or continue efforts to strategically integrate with physicians. However, developing physician leaders can be a difficult undertaking. Physicians, for the most part, are very independent, and their entire training is devoted toward interactions with patients, not the management of complex organizations like a hospital, says David Fox, CEO of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downer's Grove, Ill. "The skills that make a physician a fabulous doctor, don't necessarily lead that person to be a successful leader," says Mr. Fox. "Leadership involves bringing people together to understand what needs to be done and coordinating their actions."
While a lack of innate leadership skills can be addressed with training, the physician leadership challenge is further exacerbated today by the trend of physicians increasingly spending less time at hospitals as a result of the increasing prevalence of hospitalists. Additionally, many younger physicians with greater concern for work-family balance avoid leadership due to the additional time commitments that it can bring. Despite these challenges, a few select physicians are likely to voice interest in leadership within a hospital setting. Those that do show interest need to be appropriately identified, cultivated and vetted in order to ensure the most capable physician leaders are active in carrying out the vision of the organization.
Here are three best practices for developing physician leaders.
1. Identify physician leaders. Hospital physician leadership can take a variety of paths, but at Good Samaritan, as with many hospitals, physician leaders first come on to administration's radar when they become involved in some type of medical staff committee. "Many physicians come to the hospital, take care of patients and leave, but there are some that appear to be interested in supporting the betterment of the hospital," says Mr. Fox. Administrators and managers should keep an eye out for physicians with an inkling of interest and encourage them to become involved in committees, such as the operating or quality committee, recommends Mr. Fox.
"Once a physician is involved in a committee, administrators should pay attention to their involvement — do they attend the meetings? Do they voice their opinions? Do they show sound critical thinking? If so, the physician is a prime candidate for being cultivated as a physician leader," says Mr. Fox.
2. Cultivate potential leaders. Physicians that show promise through their involvement in committees should be encouraged to seek out larger leadership roles. "Hospital executives need to do a better job of convincing younger physicians why their decision to become a leader is a good one," says Mr. Fox. "Sometimes doctors will shy away because it's a lot of effort with, in their view, not a big outcome." Mr. Fox recommends that administrators have personal conversations with potential physician leaders about the value of their leadership and the benefit it could have for the organization and the patients it treats. While many hospitals may provide some compensation to certain physician leaders, Mr. Fox says, "they aren't in it for the money," suggesting non-financial benefits for involvement is critical.
In more advanced roles, such as chair or vice chair of a department, physicians gain a broader view of the organization and what physician leaders do. Executives should check in with physician leaders often to see whether or not they are enjoying the experience. If they are, executives should encourage them to "step up," says Mr. Fox. A nudge from an administrator may serve to validate the physician's interest and be the tipping point in getting them to take on a larger role. At this point, physicians could run for a position such as president of the medical staff or discuss options for an even greater leadership commitment, such as filling a medical director position. Mr. Fox says his hospital works to ensure all qualified physicians with interest are given opportunities to lead. "If we have someone that has potential, we will work hard to find something for them."
Involving administration in cultivating leaders is critical to ensure an aligned organization that performs as efficiently as possible. It's not uncommon that physician leaders run on platforms of standing up to administration, which presents a great challenge to hospitals. Cultivating strong leaders that share the same vision as the organization can help to avoid these fissures among physician leaders and non-clinical leaders.
3. Provide development opportunities. Finally, at every level of a physician leaders' involvement in the organization, they should be provided with development opportunities so they can be effective. These opportunities can include in-house and external educational opportunities that help advance their leadership skills. Training is important because leadership skills take years to develop, even in non-clinical leaders who often have years of formal education in this area. "It takes many years of being in a management or leadership position to understand truly how to lead an organization," says Mr. Fox.
Identifying, cultivating and developing physician leaders will become increasingly critical as hospitals and health systems move toward more aligned relationships with physicians — a move that is largely the result of reform and other efforts to control costs while improving care. However, it's possible the physician leadership challenge could ease a bit in coming years as more hospitalists join medical staffs and become involved in leadership. "Their being based within the hospital could mean they could become an increasingly important member of the leadership team in hospitals," says Mr. Fox.
Learn more about Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.
While a lack of innate leadership skills can be addressed with training, the physician leadership challenge is further exacerbated today by the trend of physicians increasingly spending less time at hospitals as a result of the increasing prevalence of hospitalists. Additionally, many younger physicians with greater concern for work-family balance avoid leadership due to the additional time commitments that it can bring. Despite these challenges, a few select physicians are likely to voice interest in leadership within a hospital setting. Those that do show interest need to be appropriately identified, cultivated and vetted in order to ensure the most capable physician leaders are active in carrying out the vision of the organization.
Here are three best practices for developing physician leaders.
1. Identify physician leaders. Hospital physician leadership can take a variety of paths, but at Good Samaritan, as with many hospitals, physician leaders first come on to administration's radar when they become involved in some type of medical staff committee. "Many physicians come to the hospital, take care of patients and leave, but there are some that appear to be interested in supporting the betterment of the hospital," says Mr. Fox. Administrators and managers should keep an eye out for physicians with an inkling of interest and encourage them to become involved in committees, such as the operating or quality committee, recommends Mr. Fox.
"Once a physician is involved in a committee, administrators should pay attention to their involvement — do they attend the meetings? Do they voice their opinions? Do they show sound critical thinking? If so, the physician is a prime candidate for being cultivated as a physician leader," says Mr. Fox.
2. Cultivate potential leaders. Physicians that show promise through their involvement in committees should be encouraged to seek out larger leadership roles. "Hospital executives need to do a better job of convincing younger physicians why their decision to become a leader is a good one," says Mr. Fox. "Sometimes doctors will shy away because it's a lot of effort with, in their view, not a big outcome." Mr. Fox recommends that administrators have personal conversations with potential physician leaders about the value of their leadership and the benefit it could have for the organization and the patients it treats. While many hospitals may provide some compensation to certain physician leaders, Mr. Fox says, "they aren't in it for the money," suggesting non-financial benefits for involvement is critical.
In more advanced roles, such as chair or vice chair of a department, physicians gain a broader view of the organization and what physician leaders do. Executives should check in with physician leaders often to see whether or not they are enjoying the experience. If they are, executives should encourage them to "step up," says Mr. Fox. A nudge from an administrator may serve to validate the physician's interest and be the tipping point in getting them to take on a larger role. At this point, physicians could run for a position such as president of the medical staff or discuss options for an even greater leadership commitment, such as filling a medical director position. Mr. Fox says his hospital works to ensure all qualified physicians with interest are given opportunities to lead. "If we have someone that has potential, we will work hard to find something for them."
Involving administration in cultivating leaders is critical to ensure an aligned organization that performs as efficiently as possible. It's not uncommon that physician leaders run on platforms of standing up to administration, which presents a great challenge to hospitals. Cultivating strong leaders that share the same vision as the organization can help to avoid these fissures among physician leaders and non-clinical leaders.
3. Provide development opportunities. Finally, at every level of a physician leaders' involvement in the organization, they should be provided with development opportunities so they can be effective. These opportunities can include in-house and external educational opportunities that help advance their leadership skills. Training is important because leadership skills take years to develop, even in non-clinical leaders who often have years of formal education in this area. "It takes many years of being in a management or leadership position to understand truly how to lead an organization," says Mr. Fox.
Identifying, cultivating and developing physician leaders will become increasingly critical as hospitals and health systems move toward more aligned relationships with physicians — a move that is largely the result of reform and other efforts to control costs while improving care. However, it's possible the physician leadership challenge could ease a bit in coming years as more hospitalists join medical staffs and become involved in leadership. "Their being based within the hospital could mean they could become an increasingly important member of the leadership team in hospitals," says Mr. Fox.
Learn more about Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.