May 19, 2006

Physicians participate in leadership skills program

At the MGH, making sure that clinical staff members have all the educational tools and opportunities they need to continue to provide the best, most advanced patient care possible is a top priority. For physicians — who are often accustomed to working directly with patients — acquiring leadership and management roles can prove challenging. The Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO) has established a leadership program to help doctors develop the skills they need to be successful in these types of positions. Every two years, 35 mid-level clinical leaders nominated by their chiefs and other senior leaders are invited to participate in the program, which focuses on leadership skills, operations management, financial management and other tools helpful to physician-leaders at the MGH.

Participants in the program spend two to four hours each month in the classroom, learning about specific concepts and how they can be applied. "What makes the course worthwhile is the practical advice on how to be effective at developing a clinical program or improving the quality of care we deliver within the larger organization," says Lee Schwamm, MD, director of the MGH Telestroke and Acute Stroke Services and a current course participant. "It's not often that you get to work together in a small interdisciplinary group with colleagues who are at similar points in their careers."

The next program will begin in 2007, and the nomination process will start this June. For more information, contact Nancy Gagliano, MD, at njgagliano@partners.org or Wilfred McCalla at wmccalla@partners.org.

At right, Boris Graysberg, guest speaker at the May 10 leadership session