Month: June 2019

How to keep physicians engaged

I really want to be positive and presume we all want the same thing; that is to be successful, enjoy caring for our patients and to be reimbursed commensurate with our efforts.

Physicians are typically self motivated and value their autonomy. If we want physicians to be engaged we need to recognize and encourage their strengths rather than boxing them in and limiting their creativity. It can be a fine line between a disruptive physician and a free thinker with out of the box ideas.

When we look at physicians that are “burned out” we typically see physicians that are not engaged and it has been my observation that they have not been engaged in quite some time. Frequently these providers have not been interested in social interactions with colleagues and don’t take part in functions sponsored by the medical staff or hospital organization. By not being part of the medical staff “family” they lose a valuable source of peer support and may not be considered team players.

Trust?

So how do you know if your organization is putting your best interest first and foremost? I would hope that putting patient care first also translates into keeping physicians happy and satisfied. A happy physician is much more likely to keep their patients satisfied and provide top decile care.

First post to my new blog.

I have practiced Internal Medicine for the past 35 years. The last eight years have been only in the outpatient setting. Until recently, I chaired the Utilization Management Committee but I was recently replaced by one of the Hospitalist physicians.

I have seen major changes in the way medicine has been practiced over the years and I hope to make observations and comments that may help my fellow healthcare providers deal with the rapidly changing landscape. You will note that I referred to myself as a “healthcare provider ” not a physician, which tips my hand as to what I think about some of the recent changes.