Ask the Consultants

Can you provide some ideas for engaging physicians and increasing their leadership role to boost the success of our organization's programs?

(Dr. Mark Wenneker, consulting manager, The Bard Group) There are seven essential elements to successfully bringing physicians onboard. First, build an aligned, shared vision of the future. Communicate this well, and create a sense of ownership around that vision by your senior clinical leaders.

Secondly, be sure to have defined decision-making authority. As we become leaner and more focused on results and outcomes, we have to build that leadership and define a decision authority model to help us make quick, effective decisions.

The third key element involves planning and structure. Think through the plans that you need to make, and have infrastructure that supports those plans effectively.

This leads directly to the fourth key element around resources. Get the focused attention of staff, doctors and leadership to make sure that you can do this right and aren’t under-resourced.

Fifth, evaluate the skill set. There are tools that some physicians simply didn’t get during their training, residency or experience. Often, being very good clinicians does not bring the business expertise necessary to be an effective medical director.

Sixth and absolutely essential is communications. We sometimes have a stealth quality model around some of our decision-making and our leadership.

The last key element is an enabling process---whether via financial incentive, convenience or service---that allows the physician to feel rewarded for the right behavior.