Empowering physician leaders: UPMC’s breakthrough leadership development programme
Abstract
In the ever-changing landscape of healthcare management, the role of physician leaders has become increasingly important. Physicians with strong leadership and management skills are well positioned to bring medical expertise to the business side of healthcare, benefiting their organisations immensely. Effective physician leaders also foster a healthier team environment, making a positive impact on their care team and patients. Traditional medical education, while strong in clinical training, typically falls short in adequately preparing physicians for leadership roles. This prompted the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to launch an internal initiative to support physician leadership development. This case study looks at the journey from concept to successful implementation of UPMC’s inaugural leadership development programme for physicians. It also addresses the challenges of deploying the programme during a global pandemic and the lessons learned from the experience. Through internal surveys, UPMC recognised that physicians wanted professional growth and development opportunities. In 2017, UPMC formed an internal board of physician leaders to identify the specific learning needs of that population. In 2018, UPMC hired individuals dedicated to the creation of a leadership programme for physicians, now branded Physician Leadership Essentials (PLE). Before the programme’s launch, physicians were left to seek development outside the organisation. Following a pilot in 2019, the programme was deployed on a larger scale, starting in January 2020. As of 29 February 2024, 482 participants from various speciality and practice locations participated in 26 rolling cohorts of PLE. Twenty cohorts have completed the programme, resulting in 314 alumni. Today, there are six ongoing cohorts with 139 active participants. The programme exhibits 99.5 per cent favourability and a 92 per cent retention rate. Participants have completed 247 leadership challenge projects. This programme has fostered a culture of growth and development for physicians across UPMC and enhanced cross-functional and cross-departmental collaboration. It has also unlocked some of the untapped leadership talent of physician leaders, increasing not only their effectiveness but also their sense of professional fulfilment and engagement.
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Author's Biography
Martina Bison-Huckaby , MBA, ACC, SHRM-SCP, sHRBP, is an executive development professional and ICF-certified leadership coach with 25 years of diverse leadership experience, ranging from international sales administration of animated and live action films to higher education, forensic and healthcare management. She joined University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) at the end of 2018 to spearhead leadership development initiatives for its physicians. Martina also serves on the Board of the National Forensic Science Academy. Previously, Martina was the Director of the Center for Executive Education and the Forensic Management Academy at WVU College of Business and Economics, responsible for corporate and executive development programmes, including those within the healthcare industry. Martina also worked for CLG, Inc. (The Continuous Learning Group, now renamed ALULA), a global behaviour-based management consulting company headquartered in Pittsburgh, and for SABAN Entertainment/Fox Kids Worldwide. She is originally from Venice, Italy, and came to the United States to attend The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an exchange student.
Ashley Southworth , sHRBP, is Senior Learning Coordinator, Physician Learning and Development, for UPMC with over ten years of experience in education. She joined UPMC in 2019 to support the operations and logistics of leadership development initiatives for physicians.
Alexandra Kortz , sHRBP, is a Learning Associate who joined UPMC in June 2022 after graduating with a bachelor of science in business administration and a minor in leadership development. She joined the Physician Learning and Development team to support operations and logistics — primarily spending time with the Physician Leadership Essentials programme and overall team data collection.
Christine Hughes , MBA, ACC, sHRBP, is a professionally trained and certified coach and leadership development expert. She joined UPMC in January 2023 to continue the work of Physician Learning and Development. Christine is responsible for creating new content and facilitating physician leadership sessions. Previously, she spent 29 years at Duquesne University as business consultant, working with over 1,500 entrepreneurs in southwestern Pennsylvania, a career coach for graduate students, manager of executive education and adjunct faculty member teaching in both the undergraduate and graduate school of business.
Heather Reading is an HR professional with over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry. In her current role, Heather is responsible for overseeing a team of HR professionals and managing a wide range of HR responsibilities, including talent acquisition strategy and employee and physician relations activities. Heather also partners with Physician THRIVE, the UPMC physician well-being committee, and physician learning and development on programmes for her physician colleagues. Prior to assuming this role, she served in several other HR roles at UPMC, advising leaders on a variety of subjects.
Citation
Bison-Huckaby, Martina, Southworth, Ashley, Kortz, Alexandra, Hughes, Christine and Reading, Heather (2024, December 1). Empowering physician leaders: UPMC’s breakthrough leadership development programme. In the Management in Healthcare: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, Volume 9, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/NTJU4473.
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