Today’s blog is part two of a series with Dr. Robert Strauss, TeamHealth’s Vice President of Program Development, on what clinicians can expect when attending TeamHealth’s leadership training.
TeamHealth: Dr. Strauss, thank you for sharing more information about TeamHealth’s Leadership Education And Development (LEAD) program. In Let’s LEAD: Part 1 you referred to several training programs. What are the components of TeamHealth’s leadership training programs?
Dr. Strauss: There are multiple levels. The foundation of our leadership programs includes our specialty-based playbooks that were thoughtfully developed and undergo continual improvement based on the most updated evidence and information.
From a career growth perspective, the earliest leadership training occurs when we identify clinicians who are not currently leaders and have a desire and aptitude. They go through a basic training course and are assigned a mentor to help them continue to develop.
Once placed in a position of leadership, the director and often the associate director and lead advanced practice clinician participate in LEAD. This course has four goals:
- Teach general leadership and management skills, including complaint management, conducting meetings and personality profiling
- Familiarize participants with TeamHealth-specific programs to enhance relationships and improve metrics, including customer satisfaction programs, metric-based operational assessments and consistent metric-based provider feedback
- Ensure the most up-to-date information on medical economics, including Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI), Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPs).
- Then each participant with the help of their regional medical director (RMD) and vice president of operations (VPO), selects and implements specific strategic programs learned during LEAD to enhance local metrics and relationships at their facility
TeamHealth: How has that worked?
Dr. Strauss: I would say very well
People who participate in our leadership programs rate it as consistently excellent, some stating it is the best and most germane conference they’ve ever attended. Our presenters are experienced, engaged and passionate about the skills they teach and the development of leaders.
From another perspective, TeamHealth uses several objective direct and indirect methods of measuring success. We have a 97 percent client retention rate. Our Net Promoter Scores are among the highest in the healthcare industry. Becker’s Hospital Review describes TeamHealth as one of the best places to work in Healthcare. And Forbes has named TeamHealth one of, “America’s 100 most trustworthy companies.”
Having said that, we know that if we keep doing everything the same way, we’re falling behind, so we continue to look for ways to improve our training to best meet the needs of those we serve.
TeamHealth: Can you provide an example of another skill taught in your leadership education program?
Dr. Strauss: Managing conflict is an essential skill for a clinician. After all, callousness, anger and frustration are all too common in the stressful environment of the hospital. Many of our customers, and even some of our colleagues, are in crisis. Everyone—emergency caregivers, hospitalists, anesthesiologists, private practitioners, patients and administrators—has needs that must be met. This highly interactive workshop addresses the causes of communication breakdowns. Additionally, the course defines and teaches communication skills to effectively manage conflict, including focusing on interests rather than positions, effective listening techniques and the “Theory of YES.”
Discover how TeamHealth supports clinicians and offers growth opportunities throughout the organization. To learn more about LEAD and other leadership development resources TeamHealth provides, visit our Leadership page.