WASHINGTON, DC – Changes in patient expectations as a result of the pandemic and the seismic disruption in the healthcare industry over several years are among several factors demonstrating that physician leadership is more valuable – and critically needed – than ever, according to a white paper published by the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL).
Physician leaders have been described as “interface professionals” who bridge medicine and management. At the edge between other physicians and managers, physician leaders can be the catalyst that every successful organization needs, connecting the organization’s so-called sharp end (the front lines of care) with the blunt end (related management, leadership, and governance), according to the white paper.
A significant number of top-ranked hospitals – including 7 of the top 10 as ranked by U.S. News and World Report – are run by physicians, according to Physician Leadership: More Valuable Than Ever, written by Peter B. Angood, MD, FRCS(C), FACS, MCCM, FAAPL(Hon), president and CEO, AAPL.
“This fact underscores the need to recognize all physicians as leaders and rethink the model of medical education into one that includes professional as well as clinical training,” Angood said. “Clearly, the need for physician leadership is great, and the value it brings to healthcare organizations is significant. Physician leaders, with their deep clinical understanding and desire to provide the best care for patients, are well-placed to help bring about the redesign of care that is the bedrock of health reform. Matured physician leaders can further leverage their skills and provide even deeper levels of expertise to the evolving healthcare industry’s reform processes.”
Today, only a paucity of medical schools and residency programs provide a modicum exposure to leadership development for physicians. Leadership education and experience is different than clinical training, requiring a completely different intellectual path of learning and knowledge processing.
The white paper provides detail on how to more effectively embrace the clinical perspective in healthcare administration and how physicians can develop better leadership skills to better manage their own practices and careers.
The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) is focused on the personal transformation of all physicians, and through them the organizations they serve. With the goal of improving patient outcomes, workforce wellness, and a refinement of all healthcare delivery, AAPL has remained the only association solely focused on providing professional development, leadership education, and management training exclusively for physicians. Since its founding in 1975, AAPL has educated 250,000+ physicians across 40 countries—including CEOs, chief medical officers, and physicians at all levels of healthcare. www.physicianleaders.org