Physician Leaders are Key to Changing the Face of Healthcare Delivery
“What is the most important quality of an effective physician leader?”
That’s a great conceptual question for healthcare providers to consider but, to be helpful, it needs practical answers from the people doing the work – the physicians themselves.
That’s why we were encouraged by the response of some of the physicians we are working with at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, a member of BJC HealthCare. When they were asked that question by Joe Mazzenga, managing partner of NuBrick Partners, the three top responses were “listening,” “listener” and “communication.”
You’ve heard the cliché that patients want their doctors to listen to them, and at MoBap, the physicians are listening.
“Every hospital leader at the table needs to rethink how to provide the right care at the right time in the right place,” noted Mitchell Botney, MD, chief medical officer of Missouri Baptist.
That’s a tall order, but Dr. Botney is optimistic because of the caring and diligent attitude of the physicians at MoBap. He says their passion for providing the best patient care drives their participation in changing how care is delivered.
“As our world rapidly transforms, we are at a crossroads in medicine and healthcare delivery,” he says. “We recognize the unique and important opportunity to play a role in that transformation.”
For his part, Mazzenga is encouraged by the results he sees in the physicians he is working with at Missouri Baptist and at other health systems around the country.
“Physicians want what is best for their patients,” he says. “With training and education in leadership, they can absolutely transform their organizations to provide the best care possible, and lead in a way that ensures their organizations will flourish for decades to come.”
