Informing Your Approach to Leadership

I often hear from other physician executives in various roles, “no two days are the same.”

Understanding new regulations, implementing strategies for quality improvement, considering HCAHPS outcome scores, and quelling miscommunication among generational gaps are just a few of the areas that need the attention and input of physician leaders to ensure that those we serve are appropriately cared for.

In this issue of the Physician Leadership Journal, we learn about the highly anticipated final rules to modernize and clarify the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of Inspector General. The revisions to these laws seek to establish new exceptions/safe harbors and definitions and provide additional flexibility to support the current shift in the U.S. healthcare delivery and payment system from volume-based to value-based reimbursement.

We also have included two discussion articles that demonstrate the importance of developing physician leaders and their impact as new and seasoned leaders.

The first article addresses how emerging physician quality leaders can successfully advance both physician and organizational quality agendas. The authors present 10 practical and actionable strategies that emerging physician leaders can implement and tailor to their organization to advance the quality agenda. These strategies enable physician leaders to influence frontline peers, improve access to QI training for physicians, build networks that connect physicians with QI experts, and develop partnerships with executives that foster increased alignment of physician quality goals and organizational improvement processes.

The second article addresses the role of leaders in helping bridge generational gaps.

Finally, a research article examines patient experience and satisfaction using scores from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. It compares outcome scores between hospitals led by physician CEOs and those led by non-physician CEOs, as empiric data regarding physician leadership outcomes remain scarce.

What remains clear from inside the circles of physician leadership is that our work going forward will continue to grow in size and scope regardless of our job title. To effectively contribute and sustain those contributions over time, we must be creative and thoughtful about how we approach our work. I hope this issue brings you some important insights that can inform your leadership approaches and those leaders on your team.

As the official journal of the American Association for Physician Leadership, the PLJ provides a platform for you to share your research with members throughout the world. Now is the time to use this platform to help inspire change in healthcare and to improve the way we deliver care to the patients, families, and communities we serve.

Please send me your thoughts at editor@physicianleaders.org. We would enjoy hearing stories about the relevance of mentorship and the methods you use to ensure that you and your team are well cared for in our demanding careers.