Transcript Building Better Relationships with Physicians Effective

Building Better
Relationships
with Physicians
Twenty Strategies and Action Plans
for Board Members and Executives
A Presentation for the Ohio Hospital Association
Kendall L. Stewart, MD, MBA
March 2004
What’s in this for me?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Every trustee and executive says
good relationships with physicians
are desirable.
Most would also agree that their
current relationships with physicians
are not as good as they could be.
But many hospital leaders simply
don’t know what to do.
(Physicians don’t know what to do
either, but that’s a separate talk.)
Both physicians and non-physician
leaders regularly do the stupidest
things.
This presentation outlines some
practical strategies that will help.
When practical strategies that work
are discussed, it is time to perk up
and pay attention.
Our relationships with each other can
be improved.
And they should be.
•
•
What are the objectives of this
presentation?
After listening to this presentation,
you will be able to
– List three things doctors do to
damage relationships with
executives,
– List three things executives do to
damage relationships with doctors,
– List three barriers to change,
– List three practical strategies that
will help,
– Explain why you should
implement those strategies, and
– Explain how you can implement
those strategies.
What do doctors and executives do to each
other to make matters
worse?
• Doctors
• Executives
– Confront and embarrass
executives at public
meetings
– Take completely different
positions in public and in
private
– Feed the lounge lizards
with tasty morsels of
speculation and innuendo
– Complain to everyone but
the leader who can fix the
problem
– Pour gas on
organizational fires just
for fun
– Tell physicians what they
want to hear
– Avoid taking a position
– Fail to take physicians
seriously
– Leave physicians out of
the real decision-making
process
– After the decision is
made, pretend to involve
physicians in the decision
– Send consultants or
subordinates the break
bad news
What are some of the barriers to change?
• We don’t really need each other to
succeed.
• We have not made a compelling case
that emotional partnership is worth
the effort.
• We each have a lot of bad role models.
• We select neither physicians nor
administrators for relationship
potential.
• It’s a lot of work.
• We both take heat for reaching out to
the other side.
• Change is neither easy nor
comfortable.
• There are plenty of distractions to
keep us preoccupied.
What practical strategies
will work?
• Create discomfort with the status quo.*
• Hire executives with servant hearts.*
• Make better relationships with physicians a strategic
priority.
• Measure physician satisfaction regularly.
• Use physician focus groups to get to the bottom of issues.
• Improve key physician relationship processes based on
what you learn.
• Identify all potential physician leaders.
• Develop physician leaders.
• Keep physician leaders informed.
• Engage physician leaders in real work.
What practical strategies will
work? Page 2
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hold physician leaders accountable.
Meet with key physician leaders weekly.*
Include physician leaders in the decision-making process.
Give physician leaders the information they need to make
good decisions.
Stop reinforcing irresponsible physician behavior.
Confront disruptive physicians.
Make a compelling case for change.
Be clear about whether you are informing, consulting or
seeking consent.
Include responsible physician leaders on all Board
committees.
Insist that physician leaders go “on the record.”
Create
discomfort with the status quo.
• Why should I?
– If you’re coasting, it
means you’re going
downhill.
– Complacency is the
mortal enemy of
exceptional organizational
performance.
– Manageable discomfort
promotes growth.
– People tolerate discomfort
a lot better when their
leaders embrace it.
• How can I?
– Measure something
important.
– Publicize the measure.
– Push for improvement.
– Hold yourselves
accountable.
– Find comparative data.
– Identify benchmark
performance.
– Beat it.
– Sustain it.
– Measure something else.
Hire executives with
• Why should I?
– Because it’s hopeless
without a genuine
commitment to service.
– A service attitude can
only be faked for short
periods of time.
– Contemptuous leaders
will widen the divide.
– When stressed, we all
revert to our natural
inclinations.
servant hearts?
• How can I?
– Ask about values.
– Obtain references from
physicians.
– Describe current
relationship challenges,
and ask for a
consultation.
– Find servant leaders to
interview candidates.
– Avoid weak leaders that
physicians can roll.
Meet
weekly with key physician leaders.
• Why should I?
– It sends a powerful
message to all physicians.
– It changes physicians’
perceptions forever.
– It includes them in the
loop.
– It puts them on the
record.
– It gives them direct input
into the decision-making
process.
• How can I?
– Just do it.
– Include the Chair, the
CEO, the CMO the COS,
and the COS-elect.
– Don’t worry, they will
come.
– Lead with physician
issues.
– Invite their questions.
– Continue these meetings
indefinitely.
What might I conclude from this
presentation?
• Improved relationships with physicians
should be a strategic priority.
• Our relationships with physicians can be
improved.
– It won’t be easy.
– It won’t be quick.
• But it is cheap, and it should be done.
• The leaders who have built good relationships
with physicians are eager to share their “best
practices.”
• What are we waiting for?
Where can I learn more?
• Stewart KL, “Leadership: Some Guidelines
for Transforming the Organizational
Culture,” A SOMC White Paper, 2001.
• Stewart KL, et al., A Portable Mentor for
Organizational Leaders. SOMCPress, 2003
• Stewart, KL, “Dealing with Difficult
Doctors.” This presentation can be
downloaded from www.somc.org. Click on
the SOMCPress link.
• Stewart, KL, “Bigwigs Behaving Badly:
Dealing with Notable Misbehavior.” An
SOMCPress White Paper, SOMCPress,
2001. This presentation can be downloaded
from www.somc.org. Click on the
SOMCPress link.
How can I contact you?
Kendall L. Stewart, M.D.
Medical Director
Southern Ohio Medical Center
President & CEO
The SOMC Medical Care Foundation, Inc.
1805 27th Street
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
740.356.8153
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.somc.org
www.KendallLStewartMD.com
What questions remain?
www.somc.org
Southern Ohio Medical Center

Safety  Quality  Service  Relationships  Performance 