Nebraska Medical Foundation

Nebraska Medical Foundation Physician Leadership Academy

The physician leadership academy focuses on improving physician leader’s proficiency in 18 leadership competencies that are validated to improve leadership effectiveness. In addition, the program provides strategies and practice to reduce any of nine reactive tendencies the physician leader may have that are associated with decreased leadership effectiveness. The program is a combination of small group learning, self-awareness, feedback, experiential learning and individual coaching. Nebraska Medical Foundation piloted the program the first year with a cohort of 10 physicians, refined the program during the second year with 10 new physicians. They are expanding the program next year with a cohort of 20 physicians in the Omaha area and 10 physicians in Western Nebraska.

Their results with the pilot program in the first two years have been impressive. The program has proven especially helpful to physicians in transition as they assume new responsibilities, to physicians experiencing time pressure and emotional pressure as their workloads increase in time and complexity. The program exposes the physicians to different strategies for approaching their work. By increasing their self-awareness, empowering them with different ways of reacting, and helping them learn to quiet and focus their mind, they become healthier, more compassionate physicians.

One of the biggest benefits is the time allotted for the physicians to interact with the coach and with each other. Most physicians are incredibly time-pressured. Once a month, they have an hour with their coach to discuss issues at work, their thoughts, reactions, learnings, etc. Once a month, they have 1/2 day to interact with other physicians who can empathize with what they’re going through, offer support and strategies. Each month a new topic is explored (building trust, having courageous conversations, developing accountability, etc.) and the physicians explore the topic in relation to their own leadership journey. By the end of the program, the physicians have built very strong bonds with their fellow physicians and have developed more self-compassion also, both factors that can help with burnout.