Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders to Shape the Future of Health Care

The job description for the ideal health care leader in coming years might read something like this:

Wanted: Bold, compassionate innovator who unites clinical excellence with strategic vision. Must be as comfortable at the patient’s bedside as you are in the boardroom, fluent in both human empathy and data analytics. Ability to harness technology as a force multiplier for safety and access; lead interdisciplinary teams; anticipate and adapt to local and global health challenges; and measure success not only in improved health outcomes but also in trust built in the communities served while working to advance health for all. 

That is just a partial list of necessary qualities for the demanding role of helping hospitals and health systems adapt and thrive in today’s fast-changing and transformative environment.

Fortunately, our field is already blessed with many outstanding leaders who are deftly navigating the complex health care environment and guiding their organizations to a bright future. Even better news: More gifted leaders are coming up through the ranks ready to sustain and advance progress into the future.

The AHA Next Generation Leaders Fellowship focuses on developing leaders and empowering them to bring about real and lasting change in the hospitals and health systems in which they serve, as well as in our field overall. 

The AHA recently introduced our latest cohort of Next Gen Fellows, 36 talented thinkers and doers who will tackle key challenges affecting health care. The group includes 12 Age-Friendly Fellows supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation, as well as three Fellows from state hospital associations. The Next Gen Fellows represent 20 states and one U.S. territory across urban, suburban and rural communities, as well as a wide range of roles including quality, medicine, operations, nursing, market intelligence, business development and geriatrics.

The highly interactive 12-month fellowship program provides tomorrow’s health care leaders with the tools, experience and ability to drive innovation in health care delivery as they expand their knowledge on leading change, navigating the new health care environment, driving transformation, improving care delivery and developing operational strategies for success. 

Its unique design pairs each Fellow with an executive-level mentor who guides them through the planning and execution of a year-long capstone project at their hospital or health system, tackling key issues and challenges affecting health care affordability, cost, quality and safety.

The results are impressive and hint at great things to come. A few examples of recent capstone projects include:

• Implementing a virtually assisted care model allowing offsite clinicians to conduct in-depth remote physical exams. They made an appropriate diagnosis 99% of the time and reduced annual costs in retail clinics by at least $5 million.
• Establishing a team of mobile clinic community health workers in the Northern Mariana Islands that increased the number of follow-up visits and telehealth check-ins to assess older adult patients’ physical mobility.
• Accurately predicting inpatient bed capacity and demand, increasing early hospital discharges by 26% and, over time, decreasing diversions to the emergency room by 78%.

Bringing fresh eyes and fresh thinking to longstanding challenges is the right prescription for preserving and strengthening a health care system that will continue to meet the needs of patients, families and communities into the future.

Fellowship participants and mentors both say they get a lot out of the program as they aspire to make significant contributions to the health of health care in our country.

Please visit our website to learn more about the program and spread the word about its mission and goals as we work together to advance health for all.