The human side of healthcare transformation
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Physician-Leader CompetenciesMDs are moving into Executive Leadership roles in greater numbers. The competencies required of a good physician are not necessarily the same as those needed for executive leadership. James K. Stoller, MD, MS, of the Cleveland Clinic reviews the competencies required of Physician-Leaders in a 2008 article and proposes 6 key leadership competency domains: 1. Technical Skills and Knowledge (regarding operational, financial, and information systems, human resources and strategic planning) 2. Industry Knowledge (e.g. regarding clinical processes, regulation and healthcare trends) 3. Problem-solving skills 4. Emotional Intelligence 5. Communication 6. Commitment to lifelong learning.
Stoller also reviews the literature on current Leadership Development Training for Physicians and concludes there remain gaps in the training programs regarding these key competencies. "Emotional Intelligence " is one area often overlooked in these programs despite evidence that this competency is at the root of many physician-leaders' failures (Lobas, 2006). REFERENCES Stoller, J.K. (2008). Developing Physician-Leaders: Key competencies and available programs. The Journal of Health Administration Education. 25(4):307-28.
Lobas, J.G. (2006). Leadership in Academic Medicine: capabilities and conditions for organizational success. American Journal of Medicine, 119, 618-621. |
Betty Doo Consulting 405 Waltham Street, #417
Lexington, MA 02421
T: 781-258-5156
Our leadership development firm is a referral-based business. Feel free to pass along our contact info or forward this email to anyone you think would benefit. Thanks! |
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Greetings!
Healthcare seems to be on everybody's mind, and why not? It affects us all. We might work directly in a health or medical setting; provide consulting services or products to this sector; manage healthcare programs at work; or receive services as consumers. In essence, we are all affected by the way healthcare is delivered, what is costs and how it is managed. Having worked in healthcare for many years, in hospital and community health settings, I now engage with Healthcare leaders as a Leadership Development Consultant. I am passionate and optimistic, as I hope many of you are, about transforming our healthcare system so that it can better meet the needs of all. This newsletter looks at a critical topic related to healthcare transformation: Leadership and Organizational Culture. I hope you find it helpful. Betty
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Creating a Safety Culture
Everyone is concerned about the safe delivery of healthcare services. We all understand the need for well-trained medical personnel. We understand errors occur, but hope they are minimized, and used as lessons to prevent future mishaps.
One thing we don't necessarily consider, in regards to safety and potential errors, is the role of culture in a hospital or other medical setting.
This 4 minute video produced by the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare presents the critical components of creating a Culture of Safety.
 | | Creating a Safety Culture |
Note the focus on relationship-building, listening, building trust, feeling free to speak up, and the value of every individual's voice. Now consider this: Leaders are critical to sending the message that safety is primary; they set the tone. Their impact resonates throughout the organization. Safety is optimized when it is embedded within the culture of the organization which means it is a value shared throughout.
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- acknowledgment of the high-risk nature of an organization's activities and the determination to achieve consistently safe operations
- a blame-free environment where individuals are able to report errors or near misses without fear of reprimand or punishment
- encouragement of collaboration across ranks and disciplines to seek solutions to patient safety problems
- organizational commitment of resources to address safety concerns
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Disruptive Physician Behavior
A survey conducted jointly by the American College of Physician Executives and QuantiaMD resulted in a white paper on Disruptive Physician Behavior that is illuminating. This survey included responses from 840 Physicians from various practice settings and included Chief Medical Officers, Dept. Chairs, Medical Directors, Presidents of Medical Staff, VP of Medical Affairs and practicing clinical Physicians.
Disruptive Behaviors ranged from insults and degrading comments, profanity, yelling, retaliation, substance abuse and throwing objects, among other behaviors. Interestingly, the behavior physicians were most concerned about was "refusing to cooperate with other providers": 57% of physicians rated this as a top concern.
This study is particularly interesting given it is a survey of physicians who themselves have encountered disruptive behaviors and some of whom admit to participating in these behaviors. When asked which topics would they be most interested in learning about for ameliorating this behavior, the top response was "Confronting disruptive behavior". This is a pretty interesting finding, though not actually that surprising: confronting difficult behavior is generally hard for people in many organizational settings. The consequences of not confronting this behavior in a medical setting, however, can be dire.
REFERENCE:
MacDonald, O. (2011). Disruptive physician behavior. Waltham, MA: Group Publisher, QuantiaMD.
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The "BLT" ..... Betty's Leadership Tip
(suitable for vegetarians)
We all have a role to play when it comes to improving healthcare. Have you had a negative experience in a healthcare setting? Maybe someone did not fully address your concerns or treated you with a lack of respect. Or maybe you observed behavior that you considered unsafe. If so, let someone know. Speak up. Talk (rationally) to someone in charge. Help them understand the experience from the patient's point of view. Providing such difficult feedback is not always welcome, but it demonstrates courage and may lead to positive changes for everyone.
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