HM15 Session Analysis: The Physician-Administrator Management Dyad

Hm15 Presenters: Chuck Ainsworth, MD, MCC,; Dan Virnich, MD, MBA; Roberta Himebaugh, MBA, SFHM; Robert Hickling, MHA; Sendil Krishnan, MD

Summation: The presenters, a group of physicians and administrators for hospital medicine groups, explored three dyad models. These three models were:

1. Office of the Executive, where there is one senior executive and a junior executive;
2. Coordinated Co-Leadership, where each of the two co-leaders has separate direct reports; and
3. Integrated Co-Leadership, where there are two co-leaders and the staff report to the co-leader team.

The discussion ensued to outline the benefit of a dyad leadership model, which can lead to growth and success in advancing the commitment to patient care. The group also emphasized the importance of providing leadership training and education to optimize the dyad leadership model. Bringing together physician and administrator dyads enables an organization to have complimentary expertise to advance hospital medicine programs into the next era.