adminThere’s no doubt that the long list of challenges facing health care organizations today—changing laws and regulations, health care reform and implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the transition from volume to value —each require strong physician leadership skills.
A recent white paper by the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE), The Value of Physician Leadership, confirms the link between physician leadership and organizational success through literature review and interviews with more than a dozen health care professionals.
The paper highlights that 21 of the 29 pioneer Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that earned bonuses from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were physician-led.
The paper also outlines five skills vital to physician-leadership success:
- Knowledge of the health care environment
- Professionalism
- Communications and relationship management skills
- Business skills
- Leadership skills and the ability to inspire others
The Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) and the (ACPE) through PAMED’s Leadership Skills Academy provide PAMED members with discounts on a variety of webinars, a year-round academy, online courses, onsite training, and national conferences designed to help physicians and other health care leaders enhance their leadership skills.
“If we [physicians] don’t lead (or at least participate in) change, it will occur without us, and I’ll wager to our detriment,” said Gus Geraci, MD, chief medical officer at PAMED.