Despite the challenges in healthcare one constant remains: We all care deeply about doing our best for patients. Regardless of the circumstances and conditions, this is our true north. In the foreground of healthcare delivery today, we know that driving to equity, combined with workforce shortages and a growing population with chronic disease and other complexities, will require new approaches and solutions. Progress here will require more of our individual and collective skills, perseverance and passion to make headway.
Studies also show that collaborative approaches in care can drive coordination and efficiency that lead to reduced medical errors and improved outcomes. In some hospitals and health systems, dyad leadership has reaped benefits, as has the concept of triads: administrators, physicians and nurses working together. Lessons from these arenas can help us shape how we work, while also expanding the benefit of the richness of our varied disciplines present in caring for patients.
While not new, the current stakes and imperatives suggest that as leaders, building the culture of “and” will reap greater benefits for all. In formal clinical partnerships, there is, of course, a process to making this work, including identifying the right talent and preparing them to take on high-level leadership roles. Communication, conflict resolution and trust-building are just a few of the necessary skills, as are an ability and willingness to embrace shared decision-making to encourage open mindedness, among many others.
Beyond formal roles, there is also a benefit to ensure cross-discipline collaboration in problem-solving and managing patient care. Informally there are plenty of ways to foster a culture where collaboration rules. Expanding the participants in rounding, having open floor plans, taking part in tech-based collaborations, tackling troublesome problems and offering more structured team training have all been cited as useful techniques. Simple acts of collaboration across the clinical and administrative spectrum can lead to powerful results. To gain the benefit here, support from senior leaders must be evident, including clarifying the importance of cross-discipline teaming. Opportunities to learn and grow have also been shown to enhance engagement and satisfaction.
For our part, ACHE can serve as a connective tissue between clinical and nonclinical partnerships to develop leaders. As a strategic initiative, ACHE has intentionally built partnerships with other clinically based associations to bring together leaders and experts through education and networking. This has led to clinicians, learning side by side with us, learning the competencies of working effectively as part of a highly functioning team.
Interprofessional education is an important aspect of the ACHE experience, and opportunities are growing. Our partnerships with the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Physical Therapy Association have delivered educational programs focusing on clinical leadership for those specialties. Work with the American Academy of Physician Assistants has resulted in a joint leadership development program to help physician assistants migrate from individual contributor roles as clinicians into department and team leaders. And the American Society of Health System Pharmacists has partnered with us to develop programming to grow the number of hospital and health-system pharmacists serving in high-level executive positions, including CEO and COO.
Collectively these partnerships, and clinicians’ individual participation, offer a deeper understanding of the critical roles that clinical and nonclinical teams can play in care delivery together. They also offer us a reminder that by expanding our expertise and perspective, we are able to advance our learning and make progress in equity and quality of care to realize the positive outcomes our patients deserve.
Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, is president/CEO of the American College of Healthcare Executives (dbowen@ache.org).