Recognize outgoing leaders, prepare new leaders for their roles

This is the time of year when many medical staff organizations are preparing to start a new medical staff year.  I am aware that there are significant numbers that start a new medical staff year at other times (July 1st, October 1st, etc.), and if you are one of those organizations, hold the thoughts in this column until it is time for your transition from the current leadership to the new leadership.

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to find physicians who are willing to serve in leadership capacities in our medical staff organizations.  Competing demands on physician time is one of the major reasons. Another reason is that serving in a leadership capacity is just not as rewarding as it used to be for many physicians (and I'm not speaking of monetary rewards, I'm speaking of personal satisfaction for serving in important, but often difficult roles).

So, if you are reading this as a current medical staff leader, or a VPMA or medical staff professional, think about the ways that you can make sure that medical staff members who have served in leadership capacities over the past year are recognized and honored for the important contributions made to your organization.  I hope that your current leaders will be recognized at any general medical staff meeting that is held at the end of the year, and potentially at social functions as well. 

In my first medical staff organization, we always held a special dinner for outgoing and incoming leaders in December, and invited their spouses or significant others as well.  We felt that it was important to acknowledge to the spouses that we knew that they had also sacrificed time spent with the outgoing medical staff leader. 

Of course, many of you give plaques, and other gifts that acknowledge the work done by the outgoing medical staff leaders and those visible acknowledgements are appreciated.  Do some of you do nothing?  Or only acknowledge officers (and forget about the department chairs and committee chairs)?  I don't believe that anyone will serve as a committee chair in the hopes of receiving a plaque at the end of a year or two.  It is the acknowledgement by peers of the time and effort that it takes to do those jobs that is important.  Don't overlook the importance of this acknowledgement.

While you are contemplating how you plan to acknowledge your outgoing medical staff leaders, also think about how you are going to prepare the leaders that start new positions on January 1st.  How will you orient them to their new positions?  I'm still surprised when I see medical staff organizations that expect newly elected (or appointed) officers, department chairs, committee chairs, etc., to learn their roles and responsibilities however they can manage to do so. 

Excellent medical staff organizations have mechanisms to assure that new leaders understand their roles, responsibilities, support mechanisms, and other issues that will make them a successful leader.   Sending medical staff leaders to meetings is one way to provide this education and support them in being prepared for new roles.  Having an orientation session for incoming leaders at the beginning of the year is another way. 

If this can't happen-and you are the VPMA, CMO or medical staff professional-at the very least make time to meet with each new leader to review the position description and discuss how you are going to work together to assure that he or she is well-positioned to fulfill the responsibilities of the new role.

I hope that as your medical staff organization prepares for a new year, you will take the time and effort to thank the outgoing leaders and prepare the new leaders.  The time and effort expended will pay big dividends for your organization.

Until next week,

Vicki L. Searcy, CPMSM
Practice Director, Credentialing & Privileging
The Greeley Company
vsearcy@greeley.com
www.greeley.com