Succession Planning for Academic Family Medicine DepartmentsRich Lord, Carmen Strickland, Lisa Cassidy-Vu, Shahla Namak, Keli Beck

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Objectives

Describe why succession planning is imperative for family medicine leaders

Describe the difference between acting-chair and interim-chair

Describe our transition at Wake Forest

Describe risks and benefits of having a transition period between the chair and interim-chair

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Goal

Stimulate interest in Family Medicine leaders to develop succession plans for their departments

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Succession Planning Importance

Prevents loss of vision Prevents loss of resources (potential

closure of departments) Allows faculty to develop leadership

skills Allows potential leaders to have

input into the transition Tenure of chairs is declining in all

departments

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Acting vs Interim

Acting Chair: Person managing the department in the

absence of the chair when the chair is expected to return

Interim-Chair: Person in managing the department

when former chair has left and a new chair will be named

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Wake Transition

Occurred over a several month period

Discussions with chair and myself Discussion with Dean and COO Negotiated length of interim-period Performed a SWOT analysis of the

department and a 2 year plan of action

Announced transition June that transition would occur in October

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Risks and Benefits of Transition Period

Benefits: Gain understanding of department

operations and institutional operations Risks:

Unclear decision making process Department members wanting quicker

turnover Institutional “lame duck”

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Literature

Quillen et al. Interim Department Chairs in Academic Medicine. Am J Medicine Oct. 2009 Vol 122(10); 963-68

Rayburn et al First-Time Department Chairs at US Medical Schools: A 29-Year Perspective on Recruitment and Retention; Acad Med 2009 84; 1336-41

Buckley PF, Rayburn WF. Turnover of first-time Chairs in departments of psychiatry. Acad Psychiatry. 2011 Mar-Apr;35(2):126-8.

Grigsby RK, Aber RC, Quillen DA. Commentary: Interim leadership of academic departments at U.S. medical schools. Acad Med. 2009 Oct;84(10):1328-9

Thorndyke L, Grigsby RK. The need for succession planning. Acad Phys Sci. April 2005:2–3.

Family and Community MedicineInterim-Chair: What does it mean for us?

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Objectives

• Describe what has been negotiated

• Describe the impact on the functioning of the department

• Describe the immediate challenges to us

• Answer questions

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Interim-chair

• I have full decision making power as chair

• The current plan is for no search for chair and none has been instituted

• 6 month period after which I will be evaluated by you and a committee of other chairs in the institution

• Should know at that point about long-term plan

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Impact on Function

• The department will become

• Nirvana

• Utopia

• Shangri-la

• If you believe that lets talk after the meeting you may need admission

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Impact on Function

• We still have to excel in

• Clinical Care

• Education Residents and Students

• Research

• All the while keeping space for folks to build careers and lives that are fulfilling

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Impact on Function

• Hopefully will have a positive impact on departmental functioning

• I have requested more information about departmental finances to allow us to make more informed decisions

• We are currently seen as the experts on PCMH and practice transformation

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Impact on Functioning

• I am planning on moving forward as if I will be chair for a long time

• Our challenge will be to move forward together during this interim period to improve the department and our satisfaction with our careers

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Immediate Challenges

• Clinic

• Clinic

• Clinic

• Faculty Recruitment

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Clinic

• Develop our organizational structure for operating the clinic

• Meetings already underway with this

• Day to day operations improvements

• PCMH application

• Physician Group Reporting

• Teams of Care

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Clinic

• Time to decompress as a department

• Payer mix shift

• Access

• Multitude of other things

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Why the focus on the clinic?

• Our curriculum for the residents is the clinic

• Our livelihood is the clinic

• Our ability to attract stellar residents and faculty depends on our clinic

• The first few months I will be working heavily on putting into place the building blocks for improving how we function upstairs

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Faculty Recruitment

• Mike is retiring December 31st

• We are also down Chip, Kim Case, One maternity care faculty spot

• We will need to assess in the department how we optimally recruit faculty to our department.

• How we can “grow” our own faculty as well.

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Moving Forward

• Each month we will develop action items that need to be completed

• We will rank them in importance determine who is responsible for completion and reporting back to the group

• I have created a SWOT analysis of the department that was shared with Dr. Sibert and Abraham prior to accepting Interim Chair

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Moving Forward

• I will be meeting with each of you to determine your view of where you see your career going and what you need from me as chair

• I am looking for honest feedback on how my leadership is improving or harming the department and will set up a system to make that happen