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53 FINANCE CMO / CARE DELIVERY 5 Reasons Your Physician Champion Will Fail By Tamara Rosin "Physician champions" — physician leaders who coordinate improve- ment efforts between fellow clinicians and administrative staff — are increasingly called upon to address the issue of physician "alignment." Various industrywide factors have contributed to the rise of the physician champion as the driver of efforts to increase cooperation between fellow physicians and hospital executives. e main reason: as independent providers increasingly seek hospital employment, achiev- ing buy-in is critical for building successful care teams and managing population health under a value-based care delivery system. e physicians selected to undertake this important responsibility are typically those who already possess respect and credibility among their peers, have demonstrated a capacity to lead and seem intrinsically motivated to effect change. But many physician champions fail — though oen to no fault of their own. Physician champions who fall short of the expectations imposed upon them are oen not set up for success by their organizations. ere are five common reasons physicians champions fail. 1. The champions don't have a formal job title or descrip- tion. Dr. Tom Smith*, a hospitalist with Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine, serves as a physician champion at one of the system's commu- nity hospitals. ere, he is responsible for helping create and implement programs to improve quality and patient satisfaction and reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections, among other objectives. However, Dr. Smith says not having a formal job title reflecting his physician champion duties or an explicit description of his responsibilities creates an environ- ment of ambiguity and directly impacts his motivation. "When there is no formal job description or expectations," says Dr. Smith, "the motivation to carry out your own ideas or try anything new is pretty low." Ed Howell, professor of public health sciences at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and the former vice president and CEO of University of Virginia Medical Center, agrees. "e question that should begin every institution's consideration of physi- cian alignment and physician leadership is, 'What do we want the champi- on to do?'" says Mr. Howell. "Every physician champion either succeeds or fails based on the clarity of their role that the organization establishes." Physician champion roles may be formal or informal, depending on the organization's objectives. Regardless, hospital leadership must define and communicate the responsibilities and expectations of the champion. 2. The champions don't have the proper support and mentorship. While it is increasingly popular for physicians to seek management or administrative degrees along with their medical edu- cation, most physicians have never received formal leadership training. As a result, when it comes to building a team or rallying clinicians to make a change, a physician champion may find him or herself at a loss. What's more, hospitals oen lack adequate support and resources to guide physician champions or answer their questions. "ere is really no structure of guidance or support," says Dr. Smith. "If you come up with a new idea, you're kind of on your own to figure out a way to implement it." Without a mentor or advisor to help with questions, a physician cham- pion's responsibilities transform into added stress — a dangerous thing in a profession already plagued by high rates of burnout. "I have questions on a daily basis on the implementation of the ideas I come up with, but there is no clear structure for who I would go to if I have a problem," says Dr. Smith. As a result, much of the initial en- thusiasm with which physician champions enter their roles dies down, further depleting their motivation to succeed. 3. The hospital fails to address the conflict between clinical workload and physician champion duties. Most physicians who pick up leadership duties maintain their full clinical workloads and add physician champion functions on top. However, in cases like Dr. Smith's, there is no compensation for the additional leadership role. Ultimately, this means physicians work more hours without more pay. "e biggest challenge for me personally is the dilemma between picking up more clinical work — which pays now — or taking on more leadership work — which isn't guaranteed to pay off at all," says Dr. Smith. Even if physician champions are interested in enhancing leadership expertise, they may not have the means to do so. For instance, Dr. Smith attended healthcare leadership conference in Chicago this past spring, but the five days he spent away from the hospital came out of his personal vacation days. "ere is no separate time in my job that gives me elbow room to attend these meetings," he says. According to Mr. Howell, if an organization wants its physician cham- pion to succeed, the leadership must be prepared to offer adequate compensation to make up for the reduction of clinical income. Physician Dies Following Attack by Patient at Dallas Hospital By Ayla Ellison A patient at 144-bed Timberlawn Mental Health System in Dallas has been charged with man- slaughter in the death of a physician he assaulted, according to The Dallas Morning News. According to police documents, 55-year-old Tony Cason attacked Ruth Anne Mardock, MD, June 30 afternoon after Mr. Cason was told he would be transferred to another facility. Mr. Cason tackled Dr. Mardock in the hallway outside his room. During the confrontation, which was caught on video, the physician's head hit the floor and she lost consciousness, according to the report. Dr. Mardock was hospitalized after the attack and died July 2 from her injuries. Mr. Cason, who was originally charged with aggravated assault, was charged with manslaughter after Dr. Mar- dock's death. He is being held in the Dallas County Jail on $100,000 bail, according to the report. n