The healthcare industry faces increasingly complex challenges that call for strong physician leadership. Effective physician leaders have the clinical expertise, business acumen, and leadership skills to guide organizations to successful business outcomes without sacrificing the well-being of patients and clinical staff. Most experts agree on the importance of physician leadership. Yet, new research from Jackson Physician Search and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) reveals a significant training gap that leaves most physicians without access to the training necessary to succeed in executive roles. As the industry grapples with addressing the gap at a high level, some organizations are launching physician leadership development programs internally and finding success on multiple levels.
Organizations that provide internal physician leadership development programs are essentially building their own pool of qualified candidates for future physician leadership roles. This is an excellent way to overcome a shortage of qualified physician executive candidates, but there are other benefits as well. After decades of recruiting physician executives internally and now, as a physician executive search partner, I can attest to the many rewards of internal physician leadership development programs.
1. Expand Access to Qualified Candidates for Physician Leadership Jobs
According to the new research, 67% of physicians are interested in pursuing leadership roles. However, only 18% received formal business or executive training during medical school. As healthcare organizations increasingly look to physician leaders to bridge clinical and administrative needs, the consequence of this training gap — a lack of qualified candidates for physician leadership roles — is undeniable. In the same study, 62% of respondents said it is very or somewhat difficult to find qualified candidates for leadership roles.
Organizations that offer internal physician leadership training programs actively address the training gap while expanding their pool of qualified candidates.
2. Increase Internal Recruitment
The joint survey also asked respondents to share the methods they use to recruit physician leaders. “Hire from within” was the most common response, cited by two-thirds of respondents. This is especially interesting because only 21% said their organizations offer internal physician leadership training programs. So, while leaders want to promote their physicians into leadership roles, most organizations are not taking formal measures to prepare them.
Alternatively, organizations that invest in internal training programs will increase their chances of hiring qualified candidates from within, minimizing recruitment expenses and shortening the time to hire.
3. Elevate Employer Brand and Improve Physician Recruitment
An effective physician leadership development program can elevate your organization’s employer brand and improve physician recruitment efforts. An organization with a robust leadership training program and a record of promoting from within (see above) will have a clear hiring advantage in an increasingly competitive market. Moreover, they will attract physician candidates more likely to be interested in career progression and leadership roles.
4. Increase Retention Rates and Engagement
Our 2023 white paper revealed that physicians who see growth opportunities within their organizations are likelier to stay engaged and remain with their employers. Being a part of a physician leadership training program may also address burnout by fostering a sense of purpose and control over one’s work environment, which is crucial in today’s high-stress healthcare settings. All physicians should know what they need to do to be selected for the training program and clearly understand the path to physician leadership.
5. Empower Physicians
In our latest study, 69% of physicians who expressed interest in leadership were motivated by a desire to have a voice in organizational decisions. Healthcare organizations offering physician leadership training empower physicians with the necessary skills to advocate for the changes they seek. As physicians develop business skills and gain exposure to the organization’s business side, they can better balance quality patient care with organizational strategy. This alignment is essential, as cost efficiency, patient satisfaction, and quality standards are increasingly important to the organization’s sustainability. Leadership programs prepare clinicians to think like leaders, always considering the impact of organizational decisions on the business, patients, and clinical staff.
How to Establish a Physician Leadership Development Program
The new study from Jackson Physician Search and MGMA highlights the significant gap in formal leadership training for physicians, emphasizing the need for organizations to cultivate the leadership potential of their physicians internally. So, what does it take to establish such a program? According to the research, the most common elements are leader/executive coaching (76%), physician leader mentoring (63%), individual assessments (63%), workshops (54%), and group learning (54%). Other programs feature online learning modules, 360-degree feedback, retreats, mindfulness training, communication training, cultural immersion, and more.
Each organization’s program will be unique, but the benefits are universal. By investing in physician leadership development programs, healthcare organizations will not only expand their access to qualified candidates for physician leadership roles, they will also improve physician recruitment efforts, increase retention rates, and empower physicians to have a voice in the organization.
If your organization is seeking physician leaders, the Physician Executive Search team at Jackson Physician Search is eager to leverage our considerable network to help you find the best candidate for your organization. Reach out today for more information.
About Tom Rossi
Tom Rossi has over three decades of dedicated experience in recruitment and leadership within the healthcare sector. Prior to joining Jackson Physician Search as the Vice President of Executive Search in 2023, Rossi served as National Vice President of Physician Recruitment for HCA Healthcare for 20+ years. Before spearheading physician and provider recruitment, Rossi played a pivotal role in HCA’s executive recruitment division and spent six years prior to that leading a team of executive recruiters for a professional services firm.
Outside his professional endeavors, Rossi engages in meaningful volunteer work, contributing to organizations such as Football Parents at Ohio State (FPAOS) and Habitat for Humanity. Rossi cherishes family life and is a proud parent of three adult children.
