Clinical Leadership

My tenure at Clinicient has afforded me a unique opportunity to observe the management of hundreds of physical, occupational and speech therapy practices all over the country.  These practices range from very small to very large and represent a wide variety clinical specialties.  I have come to the conclusion that the one thing that separates the super successful practices from the also-rans is one thing: Great Clinical Leadership.

So what defines a Great Clinical Leader?  Why is Great Clinical Leadership the vital ingredient in successful practices? Let me try to explain:

Notice that I said “Great Clinical Leadership”.  I did not say “Great Leadership”, ”Great Business Leadership”, or “Great Management”.  No one would argue that having leadership and specifically great business leadership and a great management team are important, even vital; but I don’t believe any practice can be successful without Great Clinical Leaders.

Great Clinical Leaders must be clinicians.  Period.

The most brilliant business strategist or accomplished business manager cannot successfully manage a group of clinicians without having clinical experience and background.

I don’t believe this is because clinicians are by their nature uncooperative or unwilling to be managed.  But, without a clinical background, it is very difficult for the best of leaders to have credibility with the clinical staff and the process of communicating with clinical staff becomes much more challenging.

It is difficult the the non-clinician to challenge the assertions and opinions of the clinical staff. Put a little more simply, it is harder to call ”Bull Puckey” with credibility.  For example, even though it is often left unsaid, the recalcitrant clinical staff member can always think “What does he/she know?” after being challenged about their perceptions about productivity or what constitutes an acceptable level of care for a patient.

Great Clinical Leaders Have Extensive Industry Knowledge

Besides having a clinical background, great clinical leaders must have an extensive knowledge of “the industry”: including insurance industry trends, government regulations, and clinical treatment trends and controversies. In other words the ”the big picture”.

Great Clinical Leaders Have a Clinical Opinion

The Great Clinical Leader has an opinion or philosophy about what constitutes effective patient treatment and on the latest treatment trends or fads.  That opinion is grounded in experience and at least some scientific rationale.  The leader should be able to act as a mentor to the staff on treatment decisions.

Great Clinical Leaders are Great Communicators

The Great Clinical Leader has the communication skills necessary to convey the “big picture” to the clinical staff.  It is nearly impossible to translate the big picture to clinical staff without being a clinician yourself.

Great Clinical Leaders are also transparent in their communication.  They do not try to shield the clinical staff from all of the “dirty details” about factors that have gone into making a decision.

Great Clinical Leaders Know What They Don’t Know

Great Clinical Leaders will seek out the advice of other business and management professionals.  They will hire a knowledgeable consultant when needed. They will make sure they hire the best people for their billing office and front desk.  They know it is worth it to pay a little more to get the best administrative staff.

Great Business Leaders are Collaborative

A great business leader will work with the clinical staff and with the other leaders in the organization.

Great Clinical Leaders Demand Great Patient Care

The overriding goal of the Clinical Leader is to foster an environment for to encourage the clinical staff to provide the best possible care to your patient population given the reality of resources you have available.

Great Clinical Leaders Expect Fair Reimbursement

Sustaining and growing a practice that provides great patient care relies on getting fairly compensated for providing the care as soon as possible.

Advertisement