From Pilot Project to Annual Success: Creating an Evidence—Based Leadership Program for Medical Directors in Long—Term Care

Abstract

Engaging physicians in health care administration is critical. Within Canada, physician leadership programs have not been designed to meet the needs of medical directors in Long-Term Care (LTC). This article explains how a pilot program for medical directors in LTC was created to develop their leadership skills, and how it has now become an annual event. The program must evolve to enable medical directors to participate in system change and innovation within LTC.

Developing a public health leadership graduate program responsive to a global perspective

“…The Association of Family Practice Residency Directors created the National Institute for Program Director Development to train family practice residency directors, emphasizing leadership development and other essential skills (Pugno et al , 2002). In 2000, the American Dental Education Association created a Leadership Institute to develop future academic leadership (ADEA, 2007), and in 2004, the Centre for Healthy Aging at Providence, in British Columbia, initiated a leadership program focusing particularly on the needs of long term care medical directors (Bhaloo and Mithani, 2008). In a 2005 article, a hospital team discussed “the problematic issue of transformational change in the face of cultural conflict between the worlds of clinical care and organizational leadership, and describe a case study of organizational cultural change facilitated through a physician leadership development program” (McAlearney et al , 2005).…”