CMO: Physician Leadership Development Involves Formal and Informal Efforts
By Christopher Cheney
Physician leadership development is pivotal for the U.S. healthcare system because many of the top-performing hospitals are physician-led.
Recent research shows there is a gap between physician interest in leadership development and opportunities to gain this experience.
A new report from Jackson Physician Search and the Medical Group Management Association found that 67% of physicians surveyed were interested in leadership development opportunities, but only 18% had been exposed to nonclinical leadership development through their education or experience in clinical practice.
It is essential for health systems and hospitals to offer leadership development opportunities, says Kristin Mascotti, MD, MS-HQSM, CPE, CMO of Penrose Hospital, which is part of CommonSpirit Health‘s Mountain Region.
“It is vital to provide physicians with leadership development opportunities,” Mascotti says. “Some of the best-performing healthcare centers and hospitals in the nation are physician-led.”
Leadership development is rarely provided in medical schools, according to Mascotti.
“In medical school, trainees believe themselves to be leaders, but they are so focused on clinical expertise that leadership development is rarely a focus,” Mascotti says.
Similarly, early career physicians are focused on clinical expertise, and not on leadership development, Mascotti explains.
At CommonSpirit, there are formal and informal leadership development opportunities for early career and mid-career physicians who have shown influence in their department or on committees, according to Mascotti.
“We offer them a leadership training program, which can go up to a year,” Mascotti says. “They develop expertise in leadership as well as finance, and they work on a project.”
There are many committees for physicians to get involved in at the health system through the medical staff structure such as the Medical Executive Committee and Credentials Committee.
“It is a great way for physicians to become a part of committees and lead committees,” Mascotti says. “We also have our medical staff involved in our Quality Committee, which is important in oversight of quality in the organization.”
Finally, there are usually problems to solve in clinical departments, which can be a proving ground for aspiring physician leaders at CommonSpirit.
“These situations provide informal leadership roles that can evolve into formal leadership roles,” Mascotti says. “Physicians can find a problem, solve it, then generate results such as lives saved, improved quality, and financial return on investment.”
Beyond leadership development opportunities offered at health systems and hospitals, physicians can take the initiative to build their leadership skills. There are certifications for physicians such as a Certified Physician Executive, which is offered through the American Association for Physician Leadership.
Physician leadership skills
When you look at the competencies of a great physician leader, the top two are influence and trust, according to Mascotti.
“To be a physician leader, you must have problem-solving and relationship-building skills in order to have great influence,” Mascotti says. “You also need to engender trust. If you have those things, you can drive change in a team environment.”
When looking at high-functioning teams, the number one capability of those teams is they have mutual trust and respect, Mascotti explains, which makes trust indispensable.
“Trust encompasses things like integrity, ethics, collaboration, and teamwork,” Mascotti says. “If you look at engagement overall, it boils down to trust.”
Additionally, Mascotti recommends that physicians who are interested in serving as CMOs seek out formal and informal leadership development opportunities to show that they can make an impact and influence others along strategic priorities.
“Most CMOs will require an advanced degree such as an MBA or MHA,” Mascotti says. “I tell people who want to be a CMO to solve a problem and get involved in committees.”
Mascotti, who served as CMO of NCH Healthcare System in Florida before joining CommonSpirit, pursued informal and formal leadership development opportunities along her path to becoming a CMO.
Mascotti also recommends that aspiring CMOs get the Certified Physician Executive certification.
“You get exposed to things that you did not learn in medical school or early in your career,” Mascotti says, “such as looking at your own emotional intelligence, finance, quality, and managing performance.”
Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.