Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mark Hertling claims our nation should work toward promoting physician leaders, according to The Hill.
After retiring from the military, Lieutenant General Hertling worked for a healthcare organization where he witnessed few physicians in leadership roles.
Here are his six insights:
1. Despite many physicians wanting leadership roles, many lack sufficient training on how to lead a complex healthcare organization.
2. During their medical training, students are primarily taught the science of medicine, rather than the art of leadership. Therefore, they don't learn the necessary skills to develop and grow a team.
3. However, physician leadership can work to address healthcare's Triple Aim — improving medical care access, achieving optimal patient outcomes and lowering healthcare costs.
4. Strong leaders express humility, interpersonal tact, empathy and great communication skills, all of which medical schools and medical programs can teach students. Once physicians acquire these skills, they can better run an efficient healthcare organization.
5. While physicians have a wealth of knowledge on medical diagnoses and treatment, they often need to work on facilitating patient engagement.
6. The healthcare industry should work on how they select physician leaders. Rather than choosing physicians who have published research or demonstrate great skills in the operating room, organizations should consider leaders who exhibit leadership skills, such as understanding human dynamics.
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