Vermont Medical Society Education and Research Foundation

Vermont Medical Society Education and Research Foundation Leadership Initiative

The VMS Foundation will continue to support Vermont physicians through the American Academy of Physician Leadership (AAPL) curriculum. The AAPL curriculum covers a broad, appropriate range of leadership and management areas given the needs of physicians according to the aggregate analysis of the survey sent to both past participants of leadership sessions and those who have not attended at all. The curriculum is similar to other well-received physician leadership curriculae that the VMS Foundation is familiar with. The AAPL curriculum has been well received by the Rutland physicians and is currently being offered a second time in that institution at the request of that physician community.

The focus of this grant will be to offer a leadership curriculum to all physicians across the state. The overarching goals of the curriculum will be: 1) education in skills needed to influence key decisions makers, both other physicians and non-physicians, responsible for decisions affecting patients and the clinical workplace; and 2) broadening and refining the nature of the state-wide professional support network of physician leaders involved with initiatives to improve care. Physicians responding to the VMS ERF survey indicated that topics such as medical staff leadership, how to use power and politics to influence behavior, and a public forum with elected officials were of key interest.