September 2022 News

Dr. John McB. Hodgson

SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWS

THE DOCTOR'S CORNER

 
   
Thanks for connecting with Hodgson Leadership Solutions. It’s been a busy summer, but I hope you are doing well and also had some down time with family and friends.     
 
As we head into the fall, our September Newsletter focus is on practical ways we can improve our work environment.

     As I am sure you know, healthcare providers are at especially high risk, with some research suggesting our risks are almost doubled. Our chronic exposure to stress can cause physical and emotional exhaustion, dulling of caring responses to patients, and negatively impact our personal relationships.

     While we are at greater risk of burnout, it is not inevitable.  There are practical steps we can take to create a less hostile work environment and improve our quality of life as well as the quality of the healthcare we deliver.

Serving with you,

 

 

John McB. Hodgson, MD, MSCAI

WHAT’S NEW?

heathcare education, Healing the System: A Prescription for Rejuvenating the Hearts of Healthcare Providers, healthcare consultants, Dr. John McB. Hodgson

Just Released!
Healing the System - A Prescription for Rejuvenating the Heart in Healthcare
by John McB. Hodgson, MD 

If you are frustrated and fatigued with an impersonal, administrative-heavy system, long work hours, ad lack of respect and autonomy, this book will encourage you with practical solutions to challenges that plague our healthcare systems.

Amazon Rankings
#1 in Physician & Patient Caregiving
#1 in Health Risk Assessment
#1 in Health Care Delivery

One of our first reviews:

“Well worth the time to read and carefully consider the reality of the problems we face in healthcare. It contains some extremely practical and, indeed, pragmatic approaches to resolving or lessening the dysfunction.”

Lorick Fox, MPAS, PA-C, AACC 
 
My goal in writing this book was to attempt to address issues that we actually have control over and which we can impact with simple changes to the way we approach care.  Rather than expect government to “reform healthcare” I believe that we are far better equipped to make changes on the front lines that can impact our work environment, that of our administrator colleagues and, most importantly, the patients we care for.

Healing the System – A Prescription for Rejuvenating the Heart in Healthcare

by Dr. John McB. Hodgson

Chapter 1 – How We Got Here
“Rather than being practitioners of the mission to serve the poor and ill, we have become a mechanism to ensure sufficient income and economic viability.”

 

COMPLIMENTARY RESOURCES – cOACHING WHITEPAPER

 “Packing as much as possible into each day may be good for the bottom line, but it is short-sighted, and we are now all paying the price for overlooking community-building.  We do not have to practice in an environment that feels increasingly hostile, isolated, and uncomfortable. Those days can be behind us.”
     

Professional coaching is underutilized in medicine.  We experience very busy schedules, make life altering decisions, and fight fatigue every day. Having someone who can look at the big picture and help us navigate can result in many positive outcomes.

Just SIX healthcare coaching sessions for 88 practicing Mayo Clinic physicians improved quality of life, resilience, job satisfaction, engagement and meaning at work.  Read the results of the randomized clinical trial.

You don't Have to Burn Out, Stay Stuck in Conflict, or compromise your values. Revitalize Yourself and Your Team. We Have the Prescription.
Request a free consultation
Phone: (440) 903-6666
Email: info@hodgsonleadershipsolutions.com

Address: P.O. Box 23547
Chagrin Falls, OH  44022

(c) 2022, Dr. John Mc.B. Hodgson

Website Design by Elevate Marketing LLC

Healthcare Management Breakdowns

hospital management meets doctors

Us vs. Them Mentality in Healthcare Management

The largest private sector nursing strike just began in Minnesota.  On September 12th approximately 15,000 nurses staged a three-day strike to protest staffing levels and the work environment.  The prelude to this decision involved many hours of labor talks with the administration, unfair labor practice charges, and accusations of refusing to address potential solutions to understaffing or involvement by nurses in the scheduling process.  According to a Washington Post interview, a nurse in Minnesota said she was sad it had to come to a strike, but that it was the only way to show the administration (who had been claiming it was the nurse’s fault) how strongly they felt and how important the issues were.  While the strike is now over, no agreements have been reached.  Quotes from both sides reveal how far apart they still are on an agreement. 

It is not for me to arbitrate the merits of pay raises or varied staffing levels, but I can’t help but assume that somewhere along the way rather than the hospital and the providers teaming to provide community healthcare, an “us vs. them” mentality developed.  I’m sure both sides of the healthcare management issues would agree that excellent health care is the goal, but our systems have morphed from “mission driven” to “profit driven” models over the last century.  Tasks that used to be managed by the front-line providers are now assigned to business administrators.  While the number of administrators has skyrocketed, the front line is struggling to fill positions.

In my opinion, it may be time to take a big step back and reassess the overall goals of healthcare delivery systems.  If providers and administrators can agree on the health outcomes desired, it will be easier to design a healthcare management plan to accomplish it.  It could mean more nurses and fewer administrators; it could look entirely different.  But the message is clear:  the system is currently broken and something has to give.  We must abandon the us vs them mentality and look for joint solutions!

Are you interested in learning more about practical ways to improve healthcare management? “Healing the System, a Prescription for Rejuvenating the Heart in Healthcare” tackles healthcare dysfunction head-on, identifies root causes, who owns the breakdowns, and more importantly provides a prescriptive cure.  The book offers straightforward, actionable processes that don’t require an act of Congress to bring about improvement.  Learn more about it here.

Please join our vibrant community of healthcare providers on the Hodgson Leadership Solutions LinkedIn page.

You don't Have to Burn Out, Stay Stuck in Conflict, or compromise your values. Revitalize Yourself and Your Team. We Have the Prescription.
Request a free consultation
Phone: (440) 903-6666
Email: info@hodgsonleadershipsolutions.com

Address: P.O. Box 23547
Chagrin Falls, OH  44022

(c) 2022, Dr. John Mc.B. Hodgson

Website Design by Elevate Marketing LLC

Physician Leadership – Culture Always Wins

healthcare consultants, healthcare consulting company

Physician Leadership Insights:
Culture Always Wins

In my physician leadership roles, I have observed that the same job practiced in two different locations can be invigorating at one and demoralizing at the other.  How is this possible? Culture.

Just like me, I’m sure you have experienced different workplace cultures. Some are inviting and empowering. Some you serving in physician leadership roles just can’t wait to get out of unhealthy environments. Bad culture will always move employees to a less functional state of performance. Good culture can take even poorly trained employees and spur them to excel. Culture is hard to define. But the saying that “you know it when you see it” holds true here. It is palpable when you walk in. The longer you stay, the more obvious it becomes, either good or bad. Changing culture is hard. It takes time. It requires tough choices and it almost always has to start at the top and filter down. A bad manager or director will “poison” everyone who works for them. A good manager will ruffle some feathers, but in the long run culture will slowly improve.

Physician Leadership is More Than Tenure

I recently observed this transition in an intensive care unit at a community hospital. The culture had become lackadaisical and there was a resistance to change or new challenges. Physician leadership positions were largely assigned by who had been there the longest, not by demonstrated skills. A new director who had been successful in another unit was assigned to improve the culture. They hired a new unit manager from outside the fold and who had prior experience at institutions with higher performance standards. After a few weeks of observation and exploration, the new manager did what needed to be done. They fired some of the worst performing staff, despite their longevity. Leadership positions were reassigned to staff with demonstrated desire to improve and learn. Of course, “drama” ensued! I listened from afar to the many comments about how this wasn’t fair, how it wouldn’t work, etc, etc. The culture was being reset. Expectations were being re-written and the staff understood it was for real.

Physician leadership sets the culture. It is not always popular, but if you want a culture that supports the mission of your organization and empowers employees to succeed, it is critically important. Assess your situation, then address the cultural deficiencies you observe. You will be glad you did (after the drama subsides!)

Professional Physician Leadership Coaching

All of us can benefit from professional physician leadership coaching to sharpen our skill sets and grow as leaders.  Learn more about the growth opportunities Hodgson Leadership Solutions offers for medical providers.  Visit the Healthcare Coaching page.  You can download the complimentary white paper on the benefits of healthcare coaching.

Stay Connected with Hodgson Leadership Solutions

We publish a monthly newsletter with informative and helpful research and insights for healthcare professionals.  I invite you to subscribe to our monthly newsletter HERE.

Additionally, our social media channels offer more frequent, easily digestible insights and strategies to equip yourself as a healthcare leader.  Connect on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

You don't Have to Burn Out, Stay Stuck in Conflict, or compromise your values. Revitalize Yourself and Your Team. We Have the Prescription.
Request a free consultation
Phone: (440) 903-6666
Email: info@hodgsonleadershipsolutions.com

Address: P.O. Box 23547
Chagrin Falls, OH  44022

(c) 2022, Dr. John Mc.B. Hodgson

Website Design by Elevate Marketing LLC