Physician Leaders: Create a Team Culture That Will Thrive in the Changing Health Care Landscape

Ready or not, changes in the health care environment are coming. As physician executives, are you ready to create strong collaborative teams to thrive in the changing health care landscape? Major themes that are in the news include: 1) reduction in the cost of health care 2) integrative health care delivery 3) converting from fee for service to bundled payments and 4) patient-centered care.A change in organizational culture from silos to collaborative teams will be required to thrive in this environment. Three strategies will be presented in this article that you, the leader, can implement to get you on the road to change and to create a team culture that will succeed in the changing health care landscape.Strategy 1: Create a Strong Collaborative TeamStrong collaborative health care teams will be required to implement integrative health care delivery and patient-centered care. Leaders and teams will need effective communication skills to work well together. Determine which gaps in communication, project and team skills exist and provide the training.Strategy 2: Develop a Resilient CultureA resilient team can navigate the winds of change more easily. A resilient team is adaptable, optimistic and sees change as an opportunity. A resilient team is able to adjust to stress and move forward. As a physician leader you set the tone. Develop strategies to cope with stress. You do not have to do it alone. No one knows all the answers. Develop a culture within your team to support each other. Develop a culture that identifies problems and then implements solutions. Create a culture that values continuous improvement in which all team members participate.Strategy 3: Create a Learning OrganizationOrganizations that value continuous learning are resilient and are able to navigate change. What systems have you set up within your organization that ensures that your team stays current and learns new skills that will be required in the future. Health care teams of the future will need effective communication skills and technical skills to deal with the digital environment. In addition to clinical skills, these teams must also have strong team collaboration skills.These three strategies will take time to implement. New skills must be developed. Start now to develop your leadership skills to lead your team and thrive in the changing clinical environment. Help your team to rediscover their passion to provide quality health care despite the changes that are occurring. Change does not have to be feared, but can be a time of excitement and challenge.