Here are five tips for promoting a positive relationship between hospital leaders and physicians.
1. Provide flexible scheduling opportunities. According to Lori Schutte, MBA, president of Cejka Search, Cejka Search and AMGA have noticed over the last several years that more medical groups are offering non-traditional scheduling options. There has been increasing growth in young female and older male physicians over the past few years, and these are two segments that are also the most likely to want to work on a part-time basis. Younger female physicians may have family responsibilities and older male physicians may want to slow down as they approach retirement. Ms. Schutte says some practices offer options such as a three- or four-day week, a shift from the traditional model that expected full-time work from a physician.
Gregory Stovall, MD, senior vice president of medical affairs at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, says to understand the importance of work flexibility, practices should view retention as a life cycle. "The values and needs change as the physician goes through their career," he says. "Ideally, you'd like them in the organization for their entire career." He says this may mean creating a practice where work schedules are tailored to the individual physician. He says creating a robust hospitalist program has been extremely useful for his own practice, as it gives physicians the opportunity to accept fewer call obligations and operate part-time without endangering patient care.
2. Listen to physicians and the medical staff. Hospital executives should listen to the medical staff and their community members to assess what services are needed most at the hospital. "Talking and listening with the medical staff is important because they work with patients from the community every day," says Mickey Bilbrey, vice president of Eastern operations for Quorum Health Resources (QHR). "Also, listen to board members because they are out there in the community and they can be a voice of what they are hearing." To best collect this information, create a forum for the community to easily interact with the hospital.
3. Incorporate physicians decision-making and leadership roles. Designate physician leaders to form a leadership council that advises the CEO on strategic issues. Hospital leaders strengthen physician relationships through working jointly on solving the challenges facing the hospital. This requires open dialogue and willingness to bring physicians into the decision-making process about a specific topic or issue. "The hospitals that have gone the farthest have incorporated physicians into executive roles," says Luke Peterson, a partner with Kurt Salmon's Healthcare Strategy Group. "High impact communication, which is two-way communication, makes sure the organization is successful." Leaders should be willing to say "yes" and "no" to the physicians and then explain the reasoning behind their answers.
"The two-way communication must truly be two-way, not from the physician to the administrator or administrator to the physician," says Mr. Peterson. "It's not a listening session, it's a discussion."
4. Invest in leadership courses for physician leaders. While much of the success of accountable care organizations basically relies on physician leadership, most physicians don't have much training to be managers or leaders. "We didn't get that in medical school," says Lynn Massingale, MD, FACEP, Executive Chairman of TeamHealth. "If it's 3 a.m. in the ED, you don't need a committee to know what to do, but in most circumstances consensus building is critical." Hence, leadership courses may help physicians understand their own leadership style as well as that of hospital leaders. Personality evaluations, such as DISC assessments, role playing, scenarios and peer-feedback are valuable tools in helping physicians develop and refine leadership skills.
5. Consider bringing in a third party for partnership contract negotiations. An impartial third party can bridge the gap between hospitals and specialty surgeons when they are working out joint ventures or co-management arrangements. Whether the existing relationship is friendly or adversarial, a third party can help the other two peaceably collaborate. The third party can als smooth out technical differences between the hospital and orthopedists, such as cross pollinating the two billing process. The use of electronic medical records between the groups can also cause problems. Orthopedic Specialty Group and their hospital partner use two different electronic medical record systems, which are incompatible with each other. Culbert Healthcare Solutions is one company that helps bring the two parties together. "They come from a background with expertise in both systems," says Steve Fiore, CEO for Orthopedic Specialty Group, PC, in Fairfield, Conn. "Those of us in the practice management world have to recognize we don't have all the answers. [We need to find] subject matter experts who can make the collaboration happen."
1. Provide flexible scheduling opportunities. According to Lori Schutte, MBA, president of Cejka Search, Cejka Search and AMGA have noticed over the last several years that more medical groups are offering non-traditional scheduling options. There has been increasing growth in young female and older male physicians over the past few years, and these are two segments that are also the most likely to want to work on a part-time basis. Younger female physicians may have family responsibilities and older male physicians may want to slow down as they approach retirement. Ms. Schutte says some practices offer options such as a three- or four-day week, a shift from the traditional model that expected full-time work from a physician.
Gregory Stovall, MD, senior vice president of medical affairs at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, says to understand the importance of work flexibility, practices should view retention as a life cycle. "The values and needs change as the physician goes through their career," he says. "Ideally, you'd like them in the organization for their entire career." He says this may mean creating a practice where work schedules are tailored to the individual physician. He says creating a robust hospitalist program has been extremely useful for his own practice, as it gives physicians the opportunity to accept fewer call obligations and operate part-time without endangering patient care.
2. Listen to physicians and the medical staff. Hospital executives should listen to the medical staff and their community members to assess what services are needed most at the hospital. "Talking and listening with the medical staff is important because they work with patients from the community every day," says Mickey Bilbrey, vice president of Eastern operations for Quorum Health Resources (QHR). "Also, listen to board members because they are out there in the community and they can be a voice of what they are hearing." To best collect this information, create a forum for the community to easily interact with the hospital.
3. Incorporate physicians decision-making and leadership roles. Designate physician leaders to form a leadership council that advises the CEO on strategic issues. Hospital leaders strengthen physician relationships through working jointly on solving the challenges facing the hospital. This requires open dialogue and willingness to bring physicians into the decision-making process about a specific topic or issue. "The hospitals that have gone the farthest have incorporated physicians into executive roles," says Luke Peterson, a partner with Kurt Salmon's Healthcare Strategy Group. "High impact communication, which is two-way communication, makes sure the organization is successful." Leaders should be willing to say "yes" and "no" to the physicians and then explain the reasoning behind their answers.
"The two-way communication must truly be two-way, not from the physician to the administrator or administrator to the physician," says Mr. Peterson. "It's not a listening session, it's a discussion."
4. Invest in leadership courses for physician leaders. While much of the success of accountable care organizations basically relies on physician leadership, most physicians don't have much training to be managers or leaders. "We didn't get that in medical school," says Lynn Massingale, MD, FACEP, Executive Chairman of TeamHealth. "If it's 3 a.m. in the ED, you don't need a committee to know what to do, but in most circumstances consensus building is critical." Hence, leadership courses may help physicians understand their own leadership style as well as that of hospital leaders. Personality evaluations, such as DISC assessments, role playing, scenarios and peer-feedback are valuable tools in helping physicians develop and refine leadership skills.
5. Consider bringing in a third party for partnership contract negotiations. An impartial third party can bridge the gap between hospitals and specialty surgeons when they are working out joint ventures or co-management arrangements. Whether the existing relationship is friendly or adversarial, a third party can help the other two peaceably collaborate. The third party can als smooth out technical differences between the hospital and orthopedists, such as cross pollinating the two billing process. The use of electronic medical records between the groups can also cause problems. Orthopedic Specialty Group and their hospital partner use two different electronic medical record systems, which are incompatible with each other. Culbert Healthcare Solutions is one company that helps bring the two parties together. "They come from a background with expertise in both systems," says Steve Fiore, CEO for Orthopedic Specialty Group, PC, in Fairfield, Conn. "Those of us in the practice management world have to recognize we don't have all the answers. [We need to find] subject matter experts who can make the collaboration happen."