Washington State Medical Association Foundation for Health Care Improvement

Physician-Administrator Team Leadership Course

This team-based leadership development project will help physicians and their administrative counterparts take action to improve team functioning or address an organizational problem. The program will target physicians that have “graduated” from the Medical Association’s 40-hour leadership course. The program represents a “next step” to the boot camp experience and addresses core concepts in leading teams and collaboration. The consultive-based model will be similar to an advanced graduate seminar. It will feature classroom-based instruction, coaching, and peer-based review process. The curricula focuses on three aspects of leadership development: 1) assessment of current physician/administration team function; 2) planning, goal setting, and problem-solving; 3) taking action and evaluating progress. Each team will consist of three physicians and three administrators. The project will be conducted in collaboration with faculty of the University of Washington and the Founding Director of the University of Washington’s Healthcare Leadership Development Alliance.

Forty-four participants enrolled and completed the program – 19 were primary care physicians, 12 were WSMA members, and four were from out of state. Three one-day retreats were hosted from September to December 2015 and again from January to April 2016. A total of 24 hours of AMA PRA Category I continuing medical education was awarded to each participant for attendance at these sessions. Program graduates came away with a clear understanding of how to better work with their counterpart and presented a personal capstone project on their progress.