American Hospital Association leaders have published a framework intended to guide hospitals and health systems in developing effective physician leaders.
The framework, published Oct. 15 in NEJM Catalyst, is based on more than 200 interviews with chief physicians from AHA-member institutions. It outlines five core domains involved in becoming a successful physician executive that are not taught in medical school, residency or critical practice: finance, strategy, operations, people management, and quality and medical staff oversight.
The authors also identify three types of gaps — knowledge, exposure and experience — that must be closed in order for physicians to develop the skills and competencies required in each domain. For example, closing the finance gap may require not just coursework, but also hands-on accountability for a department’s P&L, working alongside a CFO to understand income statements, or leading initiatives that affect margin performance.
Find the full framework here.
