Nominating qualified physician leaders

How often have you heard it said that a medical staff leader was selected because he or she was not at a particular meeting? If the physician had been present at that meeting, he or she would have likely declined the invitation to become involved with leadership for a number of reasons: lack of expertise, training, skills, or time.

The function of physician leadership has rarely been treated as what it truly is—an absolute necessity for the viability and future of the hospital and medical staff. In many hospitals, the job of selecting physician leaders is left entirely to the rank-and-file members of the medical staff. Many of these members do not have a clear understanding of the past, current, and future challenges facing medical staff leaders. Selection of physician leaders has, in the past, been arbitrary and in a few instances, damaging to the hospital and medical staff.

The nomination and selection process of physician leaders should be patterned after the leadership development programs used in successful businesses and service industries. Few other industries select top-level leaders as casually as hospital medical staffs. Generally, business leaders are groomed to assume leadership positions within organizations, and do so only after they have demonstrated the skills and expertise necessary to handle the challenges of the industry.

Medical staffs must keep in mind the following essential elements to an effective medical staff nomination and selection process:

1. Use selection criteria for leadership positions: The use of leadership selection criteria by the medical executive committee and the general medical staff is an important element in attracting the most qualified candidates
2. Position visibility: It is essential that current physician leaders, administrative leaders, and board officers illustrate the importance of physician leadership to the organization, medical staff, and community
3. Position promotion: Just as organization-wide visibility of physician leadership is important, it is also crucial that hospital leaders demonstrate the importance of their positions to prospective physician leaders