In Part I of this series posted on our Blog last week, we reviewed the “present state” of many physicians, gaining a clear understanding of the reasons for much of their present negativity. We also enumerated the strategies the partners in Royer-Maddox-Herron Advisors are using when in the field with physician audiences, and which have proved successful in moving doctors from a “negative defensive mode” to a more “positive offensive mode”. In this bog we will put forth more specific offensive strategies which have proved successful strengthening the physicians voices and influence in the strategic and operational directions of the organizations with which they are affiliated.
The most important of these strategies for physicians which have proven successful include:
1. Get involved in national or state medical organizations and give them input on developing the content of their advocacy agendas
2. Participate in the local medical society, offering meaningful recommendations for positive change, with suggestions of how these might be accomplished.
3. Participate actively in the staff meetings for your practices, your medical groups, and for the hospitals in which you are affiliated. Again, at these meetings offer solutions to the challenges that are identified that you think would work.
4. Participate in continuing medical education sessions/meetings with your peers so you have a clear sense of what is happening on a broader scale, and perhaps identifying best practices of others that can be transported into your work environment to overcome some of the challenges you are facing in a more positive and productive manner.
5. Get involved, even more so in your hospital or group practice’s strategic and operational activities. These include:
a. Medical Staff Committees
b. Medical Staff Leadership Roles
c. Serving on the hospital or group’s board
d. Participate in Strategic Planning retreats
e. Volunteer to work in the advocacy program, agreeing to meet with local, State, and Federal elected officials from your areas.
f. Encourage the development of a Physician Compact
g. Participate in Service Line Councils
h. Encourage co-management of Service Lines
i. Explore working in a “salaried” medical leadership role, full or part time, such as Chief Quality Officer or Chief Medical Officer.
j. Support the development of aligned incentives which parallel the rewards with the performance against quality and cost metrics.
k. Understand, help implement, and utilize effectively IT products which standardize and improve clinical outcomes.
l. Gain an understanding of how to work collaboratively with insurance companies to assure better pay for better outcomes
6. Depending on age and career goals, physicians should consider getting more formal leadership training, including enrolling in an Executive Physician MBA or MHA Program, or obtaining a Fellow Certificate from such organizations as the American College of Executive Physicians or American College of Healthcare Executives.
In summary, the anger which many physicians are expressing today must be recognized. Their negative energy must be minimized, replaced by positive energy and momentum. This is best accomplished by identifying and implementing proven successful strategies to move physicians to the offensive, helping to develop solutions to many challenges facing healthcare leaders and providers today. If the partners in Royer-Maddox-Herron Advisors can help you with this important part of the Journey to Excellence, please contact us below.