Lessons in Leadership

The Hospitalist. 2009 August;2009(08):

August 1, 2009 | The Hospitalist

Brendon Shank

SHM Leadership Academy

WHEN: September 14-17, 2009

WHERE: Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach, Fla.

FORE MORE INFO: Visit SHM’s online event list at www.hospital medicine.org/events.

GET INVOLVED: Call 800.843.3360, go to www.hospitalmedicine.org/leadership, or e-mail meetings@hospitalmedicine.org.

Young Specialty Grows Leaders

The Leadership Academy’s origins stem from HM’s youthful roots; the average age of a hospitalist is 40, and the average age of a hospitalist leader is 43, according to SHM’s 2007-2008 “Bi-Annual Survey on the State of the Hospital Medicine Movement.” Unlike more established medical fields, HM is in the unique position of cultivating the first generation of the specialty’s leadership. Through mentorship and motivation, the academy is arming hospitalists with the tools they’ll need to become leaders in a still-developing field.

Individuals within HM benefit from leadership training, too. “I see Leadership Academy as filling a real void in hospital medicine,” Dr. George says. “We’re still a young profession. We don’t have a lot of gray hair in the field, but we’re in the unusual position to work closely with hospital administrators.”

That paradigm means hospitalists have to learn to speak the language of administration, she says. And they need to learn it quick if they want to create real change and value. For Dr. George, who sees the academy’s impact from the hospitalist and executive perspectives, the academy prepares hospitalists to fill a necessary role in the hospital.

“As a relatively new profession, we still have to prove ourselves on a regular basis,” she says. TH

Brendon Shank is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY = Top-Flight Faculty

SHM’s Leadership Academy faculty includes a number of the specialty’s top thought leaders. Previews of the 2009 academy, including audio interviews with presenters, video of previous sessions, faculty biographies, and other details, are available at www.hospitalmedicine.org/leadership. Here is a sneak peek at the course lineups for the Sept. 14-17 program in Miami Beach:

LEVEL I

“Leadership Challenges in Hospital Medicine,” Laurence Wellikson, MD, FHM, CEO of SHM;
“Understanding the Business Drivers for Hospital Survival and Success,” Michael Guthrie, MD, MBA, executive-in-residence at the University of Colorado Denver School of Business program in health administration;
“CEO Mindset,” Dr. Guthrie;
“Effective Communication,” Tim Keogh, PhD, professor of managerial communications at The Citadel School of Business Administration, Charleston, S.C.
“Leading and Managing Change,” Jack Silversin, DMD, DrPH, president of Amicus, a Cambridge, Mass.-based management consulting ﬁrm;
“Strategic Planning,” Russell L. Holman, MD, FHM, chief operating officer of Cogent Healthcare;
“Application of Effective Conflict Management for Hospitalists,” Eric Howell, MD, FHM, director of the division of hospital medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore; and
“Achieving Success as Leader: How to Use What You’ve Learned,” Dr. Holman.

LEVEL II

“Financial Storytelling,” Dr. Guthrie;
“Leadership Roundtable,” Dr. Holman;
“Meta-Leadership in Hospital Medicine,” Leonard Marcus, PhD, director of the program for health care negotiation and conflict resolution at the Harvard School of Public Health, Cambridge, Mass.; and
“Managing Conflict and Maintaining Effective Relationships,” Dr. Keogh.

Chapter Updates

Southwest Wisconsin Chapter

WENDY HOLDEN/ISTOCKPHOTO

Hospitalists from five HM groups met May 7 in Madison. Julia Wright, MD, FHM, clinical associate professor of medicine and director of hospital medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, spoke about “The State of Hospital Medicine.” Her presentation included an exploration of factors that influence and drive the specialty, as well as a look at HM demographics.