Why your cardiology department's leadership structure matters
The management structure of cardiology departments can play a key role in both employee satisfaction and patient care, according to a session presented ACC.24, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting in Atlanta.
Cardiovascular Business spoke with that session's presenter, Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, the vice president of care transformation services at MedAxiom, an ACC company, to shed light on this topic.
"My key takeaway was how much organizational structure matters to people," she stated. "When you've got a situation in which you have a large number of providers that are unhappy and have been unhappy for a while, the reason is probably that you've got bad organizational structure, bad governance and bad leadership. And so creating a structure that allows for participation, inclusion and transparency will in the end make for a much more successful program structure for the organization as a whole."
Busman emphasized that organizational structure within cardiology departments plays a crucial role in keeping physicians content and productive. In fact, it can ultimately lead to reduced turnover rates. She advocates for a participatory, inclusive and transparent organizational model to foster a successful program structure. She explained that such a structure enhances engagement and participation, which are vital for building a culture that promotes retention.
"If you've got a situation in which providers can feel a level of engagement and participation, you'll be much more likely to hang onto those folks and build a culture that enables retention," she noted.
A key component of a more engaged management approach is the use of a dyad leadership model. This pairs administrative operational leaders with clinical leaders. The model combines the clinical expertise needed for high-quality care delivery with the operational know-how required for effective management.
"Together they share mission, value and strategy so that the two, together, combine for a very effective approach to care delivery," Busman explained.
Providing patients with cardiology programs, not individual services
Busman said cardiology departments have traditionally been organized to offer one-off services and patients are not really connecting with a care team. This also means handoffs between subspecilaities are usually not optimal. She stressed the need to change the organizational structure of departments so there is more of a team approach and patients stay with programs for more than a one-off service.
"That's where that structure, where the subspecialties in the cardiovascular service line are connected with dyad leadership. This can enable the understanding and the delivery of care across that horizontal structure," Busman explained.
She said this helps align strategy for care delivery across a department.
"So what we would say is, without good governance and leadership, nothing else matters. And that was the point of my talk," she said.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com