Developing a Physician Leadership Program Through Inter-Organizational Collaboration.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Medical Education
• Leadership Development

Background:

• Effective physician leadership is crucial in healthcare, yet formal training is often lacking.
• Medical education frequently overlooks the development of essential leadership skills for physicians.
• Existing leadership programs face barriers like cost and accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate a local, accessible leadership program for faculty physicians.
• To create a template program that other healthcare systems can adapt for physician leadership development.
• To address barriers such as cost, travel, and time constraints in leadership training.

Main Methods:

• A year-long faculty physician leadership program was co-developed with a local university.
• Participants underwent a formal application process and completed pre/post-program surveys and assignments.
• Statistical analyses (Wilcoxon signed-rank, paired t-tests) and qualitative analysis of feedback were employed.

Main Results:

• Fourteen faculty physicians completed the program, showing statistically significant increases in self-reported leadership awareness, confidence, and understanding (p < 0.05).
• Qualitative feedback highlighted increased self-awareness, enhanced skills, valuable networking, and practical application of learned concepts.
• The program successfully mitigated common barriers to participation, including geographic and cost-related issues.

Conclusions:

• The developed leadership program effectively enhanced physician leadership competencies.
• The partnership model provides a replicable framework for ongoing professional development in healthcare systems.
• Investment in such programs is vital for ensuring a continuous supply of qualified physician leaders.