BWH Developing Tomorrow’s Leadership
Following a competitive selection process, 50 BW/F faculty in November will enroll in the new Physician Leadership Program, a collaborative effort between BWH and Harvard Business School.
The Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (CFDD) and the Physicians’ Council created this intensive academic program for mid-career faculty already in, or aspiring to, leadership positions at BWH. The curriculum, which includes Brigham-based case studies taught in a business school model, is being developed jointly by HBS faculty and BWH faculty and leadership.
“This unique collaboration between BWH and one of the country’s best business schools provides the opportunity for our physician and research faculty to learn management and leadership principles in the context of how things are done—or should be done—at BWH,” said Mitchel B. Harris, MD, chief of Trauma in Orthopedics, and chair of the Physicians’ Council leadership subcommittee.
The 10-month program offers in-depth course work on hospital leadership taught from financial, operations, human resources and strategic perspectives. Program participants will meet onsite at HBS for 2.5 days every other month beginning in November for concentrated, case-based sessions. Between the HBS modules, the leadership program participants will come together for two-hour group sessions at BWH with hospital leadership.
In the final piece of this custom program, participants will be assigned to cross-departmental teams to work on strategic projects relevant to BWH’s strategic vision. The project groups will be matched to a BWH executive leadership sponsor and an HBS faculty advisor. Participants will receive 82 CMEs and seven Risk Management credits upon completion of the program.
“This is an exceptional environment for dynamic discussion among peers with intimate access to experts experienced in both health care management and leadership principles,” said Audrey Haas, CFDD executive director. “The material is catered to BWH so that our next generation of hospital leaders can enhance individual skills as well as develop synergies as a leadership team.”
Harris said this program will provide an extensive foundation for BWH faculty to grow into and be effective in leadership roles. “Often times, a skilled clinician or brilliant researcher is tapped to fill leadership roles without any concrete leadership experience in dealing with service operations, divergent personalities or financial strategies,” he said.
Harris is one of four directors of this program. Barbara Bierer, MD, senior vice president of research and director of the CFDD; Allen Smith, MD, MS, chief medical officer of the BWPO; and Andy Whittemore, MD, chief medical officer and co-director of the CFDD, also serve as directors.