Managing Physician Relationships:
Leader's Toolkit by Wendy Leebov

For Hospital and Health Plan Leaders responsible for Physician Relations, Wendy Leebov’s Managing Physician Relationships: Leader’s Toolkit will help to build and sustain mutually supportive and productive relationships with benefits for the medical practice or ambulatory care center and your organization. ©2008

Productive and harmonious relationships with physicians are key to being provider and employer of choice. This toolkit provides concrete, ready-to-use tools for managing physician relationships, such as building strong relationships with individual physicians, planning communication in order to secure physician agreement, communicating with assertiveness and tact in difficult situations and sustaining effective working relationships.

Part A: The Mindset and Key Leadership Roles Associated with Productive and Harmonious Relationships with Physicians

  • Six key leadership roles
  • Key mindsets in relationships with physicians


Part B: Four Strategies for Communication and Relationship-Building

 
Strategy 1: Proactive Approaches to Building Relationships
  • Conversation 1: On goals
  • Conversation 2: Who are you?
  • Conversation 3: On strengths
  • Conversation 4: On style
Strategy 2: Communication Planning to Make Your Case and Get a “Yes”
  • The engagement model
  • The communication plan
  • Example: Communication plan for a change or improvement---Improving patient access by changing available appointments
  • Example: Communication plan for confronting a physician’s frustrating behavior ---Lateness for clinic hours
  • For your use: Communication plan worksheet
Strategy 3: Communicating with Assertiveness and Heart in Difficult Interactions
  • The caring broken record
  • Heart-head-heart communication: The sandwich
    • Six skills that make your caring clear
    • Practice worksheet for use with staff
    • Making heart-head-heart communication routine
Strategy 4: Tactics That Help You Sustain Effective Working Relationships
  • Express appreciation to physicians—frequently and genuinely
  • Take the physician’s pulse regularly
  • Regular check-ins
  • New doctor: Check-in after first 90-Days
Tactic 1: Express Appreciation to Physicians—Frequently and Genuinely
  • Positive feedback model
  • “A patient thinks you’re great!”

Tactic 2: Take the Physician’s Pulse Regularly
  • Regular check-ins
  • New Doctor: Check-In after first 90 days
Tactic 3: If a Rift Develops, Act Swiftly. Communicate Directly.





  • Nip it in the bud
  • Give feedback: Suggested format and example
  • Proactive conflict resolution with “Let’s have lunch”
  • Questions
Tactic 4: Keep the Communication Flowing. Prevent the “Nobody Ever Tells Me Anything”) Feeling
  • Relationship killers
  • How you can kill physician satisfaction: Killer words/actions
  • Skillful, effective apologies
  • What makes matters worse with a complaining physician?
Part C: Bibliography

 


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