DOI: 10.69554/ulid2765 ISSN: 2397-1061

Building physician leaders, transforming care: The success of a children’s hospital Physician Leadership Development Programme

Debbie Moysychyn, Coleen K. Cunningham
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Leadership development is crucial in healthcare, where strong guidance has a direct impact on patient safety, organisational efficiency as well as workforce engagement and retention. In the dynamic healthcare landscape, physician leaders play a crucial role by blending medical expertise with management skills, benefiting their organisations and fostering healthier teams. Traditional medical education, however, often lacks adequate leadership training. Rady Children’s Health, Orange County (previously known as Children’s Hospital of Orange County) launched a Leadership Physician Certificate Programme (later renamed the Medical Staff Certificate Program [MSCP]) to address gaps in leadership preparation and succession planning. This paper explores the inaugural programme’s journey from concept to successful implementation, including structure, outcomes and implications for healthcare organisations seeking to strengthen physician leadership pipelines. Using Rady Children’s Health, Orange County’s MSCP as a case study, this paper examines how a strategic focus on leadership competencies and organisational alignment informed the development of a curriculum that fosters engagement and prepares future leaders, ultimately enhancing patient care outcomes, physician satisfaction and retention. It also explores how leadership programmes can be tailored to address the unique needs of individual healthcare systems. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.

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