Chair File: Caring for Doctors Means Better Care for Patients

The face, voice and skilled hands of a physician are a patient’s personal touchpoint in the vast world of health care. As doctors, we are the trusted experts — the compassionate caregivers who dispense healing, guidance and sound advice. 

When physicians bring those same clinical skills and perspectives into leadership roles, it often leads to healthier patients and thriving hospitals and health systems. With that in mind, two years ago the AHA launched its AHA Physician Alliance to help hospitals more effectively partner with physicians.

Its philosophy is simple: Lead Well.  Be Well. Care Well. Each value is fundamental to every physician’s practice, and the Alliance provides resources, services and experiential learning for each one. For example, through the Physician Leadership Experience—an in-person, three-day event—physicians develop new strategies for the demands of the 24/7 on-call environment. More than 75 physician leaders from 57 hospitals and systems have credited the program with “life-changing” impact. The Alliance also provides tactics to address burnout as a unit, hospital and health system. 

Every resource is offered with busy physician leaders in mind. These include webinars, podcasts, regional events and conferences, and monthly e-features. As a physician executive, I believe firmly in the immense value found when physicians and their hospitals and health systems build collaborative and long-lasting relationships. It’s how we can learn from each other, evolve together, and help advance the entire field by providing perspectives on AHA’s policy and advocacy work. 

Within its first two years, the AHA Physician Alliance has already delivered numerous resources, and we’re pleased to share that more are coming. A 360 assessment process helps organizations identify and support emerging physician leaders, while yearly collaboratives on high-value care and the opioid epidemic lead to better results for patients. There is even a new podcast series underway featuring chief physician executives sharing leadership insights.  

Thriving doctors translate to a better patient experience. For anyone tasked with making health care better — from the boardroom to the bedside — I encourage you to be part of the AHA Physician Alliance.