Strategy Rx - Blog and Podcasts from the Physician Coaching Institute

I came across an excellent article by Dan Zismer in ACPE Journal, on the psychology of newly integrating healthcare organizations: The Psychology of Organizational  Structure in Integrated Health System.

Zismer is becoming a thought leader on the topic of integrated healthcare and leadership structure required to lead this new paradigm of care.

One of the topics we spend a lot of time on during the Physician Coaching Institute 6-month program is the impact of “integration” and employing physicians. There are three coaching opportunities inherent in this phenomenon:

1) Coaching the leadership team who will lead the integration
2) Coaching the physicians who are struggling with the transition of going from independent owner to now an employee
3) Coaching healthcare teams to act “integrated;” what does that mean in terms of communication and getting along?

What is your experience and insights about coaching the integrated (or integrating) healthcare organization?

How do physician leaders get physicians to work together to achieve quality goals?

At the recent annual ACPE meeting, a focus group was pulled together by McKesson corporation to address that topic.

“Nine physician executives volunteered to participate in the study. They came from a variety of different positions and many were still in practice. They represented rural, suburban and urban organizations ranging from multi-state hospital corporations to teaching and children’s hospitals to a large, physician-owned clinic. After 60 minutes, it was clear that despite the diversity, these executives shared many of the same challenges.”

Click here to read the summary of findings.

How does this impact your coaching approach?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Share your comments!

 

 Coaching Boost [4:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (497)

There are some major incentives for hospital and physician groups to implement electronic medical records (EMR) and derive “meaningful use.”  In order to get to meaningful use, though, the healthcare teams will need to learn new ways of doing business.  From a developmental perspective, they could use some coaching help.

Tags: doctors, EHH, electronic medical records, EMR, healthcare reform, leadership, legacy, MD, meaningful use, Medicare incentives, physicians

We have discussed in our Advanced Concept Modules the problem of increasing healthcare costs and how some ‘movers and shakers’ are trying to improve things.

Also, we touched on physician culture.  I am linking you to an outstanding article published June 1, 2009, in New Yorker magazine, “The Cost Conundrum” that explores how the culture of a community of physicians, and their attitudes about “money” and “business” can overshadow what was once a culture of “patients first.”

This article is long, but well worth reading — possibly one of the best articles I’ve come across that combines research and investigative reporting to help us understand why and how healthcare costs are out of control.

Link:
http://sn.im/nycostconundrum

I look forward to reading your comments about this article!

Tags: , healthcare costs, movers and shakers, New Yorker magazine, patients, The Cost Conundrum

 

 Standard Podcast [3:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (287)

The positive psychology movement is definitely influencing healthcare, and specifically death and dying.  “Allow Natural Death” is now replacing “Do Not Resuscitate.”

 

 Older vs. Younger Physicians [6:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (267)

Here is a well-written article on a topic we addressed in Module 1 of The Certified Physician Development Coach program: the bimodal difference in thinking about the medical profession.  If you belong to Sermo (physician-only discussion group), I encourage you to comment on the piece there. And you are also encouraged to share your thoughts by commenting on this post/podcast.

Click on the link to read the Medical Economics article: “What older and younger doctors can learn from each other“,

Tags: consultant, consulting, executive coaching, healthcare coach, medical economics, physician, physicians on call, speaker, work life balance

 

 Standard Podcast [2:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (260)

A pervasive low-level pessimism often pervades healthcare organizations and teams.  Be mindful that your greatest value-add as a coach/consultant is positive energy, optimism and readiness to acknowledge a job well done.

 

 Standard Podcast [3:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (253)

“Executive Coaching may be eligible for Category II Continuing
Medical Education – CME – hours.  You should provide your
clients with two important documents.”

 

 Standard Podcast [2:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (243)

When you discuss your “Philosophy of Approach” with prospective clients (or in a presentation), be sure to include references to research-based methods, such as work from Martin Seligman or Jim Collins, IF your success statements are inspired by or drawing from these sources.  Clinicians like research-based methods.

An excellent Special Report was published in the January 2009 issue of the Harvard Business Review.  The report shares  survey data taken from coaches working within corporations.  The purpose of the report was to explore how the coaches define success for their clients (among other things).  Additional commentaries by coaches round out the report.

Here is the link the PDF version of the article.

One of the quotes that popped out for me reinforced what we teach in the PCI Advanced Certification Program, namely, the importance of developing a Philosophy of approach and Methodology.  Here is the quick quote from the article:

If a coach can’t tell you what methodology
he uses – what he does and what outcomes
you can expect – show him the door.

The article is not exactly a endorsement for coaching (or evidence of coaching results or ROI), but its heft certainly elevates executive coaching in the mind of the reader.

I am curious to hear your thoughts on the article.  Post your comments below.

–Francine

Tags: coaching results, coaching return on investment, Harvard Business Review, the realities of executive coaching