The current healthcare focus on wellness and personalized care, value-based payment models, telemedicine and remote patient monitoring, and artificial intelligence has created a new world in the medical practice. Today’s providers have significantly more information available to diagnose and develop treatment plans for each individual patient.
This same perspective can be considered when viewing individual medical organizations.
Let’s begin with a look at genetics. A genome is the complete set of DNA that an organism needs to develop and grow. The DNA consists of four building blocks: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). The arrangement of these chemicals determines the makeup of genes, which carry specific information.
Chromosomes are made of protein and a single molecule of DNA. As cells divide to produce new cells, chromosomes ensure the DNA is accurately copied and distributed.
Applying this information to your organization, consider this:
Genome is the culture of your organization.
DNA is the leadership and management.
Genes are the team members.
Chromosomes determine what and how information is communicated throughout the organization.
YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL GENOME
What’s in your organization’s genome? How are decisions made? What is its mission or purpose? What are the organization’s current and long-range plans?
The genome sets the tone for everything that occurs within your organization. That being said, the foundational question related to your genome is whether you have the right DNA and use it to eliminate any genetic disorders.
For the genes to work, effective DNA leadership and management are critical. Do you have the right leaders and managers in your organization? Is there one dominant leader, or are several people from the physician level or the C-suite in leadership positions?
Within the organization’s leadership and management DNA are the four elements mentioned above, modified to address leadership:
A = Attitude
C = Challenge
G = Growth
T = Teamwork
Attitude. Team members develop attitudes around the organization and its work based on the organization’s culture and the management approach to the tasks at hand.
The organization’s culture is based on daily experiences that lead to beliefs in how things are done. That leads to actions that yield results. Peter Drucker, a well-known management consultant, thinker, and author, states that any action taken leads to results, whether good or bad.
The Gallup organization estimates that in 2023, 33% of employees were fully engaged in their work. On the other end, 18% of employees were disengaged and carried that negativity into the workplace.
Understanding the mix of attitudes in your organization and what can be done to promote engagement and a positive attitude is important. Key drivers of engagement are awareness and focus on the purpose or mission, a personal relationship with and understanding of the personal goals for each employee, effective communication with complete transparency, and positive relationships with management and fellow employees.
Challenge. What are the challenges facing your organization, and what are you doing to meet those challenges? Challenges may include:
Technology
Payer relationships
Competition
Burnout
Recruiting and turnover
Decreasing revenue
Value-based care
Costs
Do you have a plan in place to address the challenges you are facing? How about a retention plan for your employees that might include adequate wages and unique and customized benefits, avenues for personal growth, flex time, a positive work environment, transparency, mentorships, upskilling or reskilling opportunities, and recognition for their contribution to mission fulfillment?
Growth. Is your genome one of survival or one of growth? Do you approach each day with an attitude of sickness, dealing with one crisis after another, or do you approach each day with an attitude of wellness? It is not enough to survive; it is necessary to grow. This does not necessarily mean rapid expansion, but it does mean that there is growth in how you approach challenges.
For example, what improvements must be made to ensure compliance with value-based care opportunities? This process will lead to growth in key performance indicators such as higher patient satisfaction scores, improved revenue, and a growing bottom line. Are any beneficial merger or growth opportunities available for you and your group? An alternative may include joining a retail option. On the other hand, you may want to maintain independence by joining a management services organization.
Today, roughly 75% of physicians are employed in retail or other related larger organizations, whereas 25% of physicians remain in independent practices. What is the best strategy for you to survive and grow?
Teamwork. The leadership or management cannot do it alone. To meet the plan, to survive, and to grow, everyone needs to be on the same page, moving in the same direction. Engaged employees? Communication and transparency? Focus on the mission and the future? Much has been written about teams and teamwork, such as the stages of forming (getting the team together), storming (team members getting to know each other), norming (beginning to make progress toward the team goals), and performing (a smooth running, efficient team). Are you performing together at the optimal level? If not, how can you get to that point?
The human genome doesn’t thrive without the mRNA, the communication necessary to make cells function. The same is true for an organization. Every message has three components: (1) the words used (7%), (2) body language (38%), and (3) tone of voice (55%). How the receiver combines these components then translates the message received will lead to the actions taken in response.
The other side of the communication equation is to listen. Effective managers spend more time listening than talking. Understanding each team member for who they are, their background, and what they believe is essential to the survival and growth of any organization.
FULFILLING THE MISSION
What does all this mean? The daily focus on providing high-quality care, a positive patient experience, and optimal health outcomes is clearly the mission. In leading and managing the healthcare organization today, focusing on the culture and providing positive direction with a well-trained, focused team will lead to improved quality scores, positive patient and employee experiences, and the optimal outcome for long-term survival and growth. This translates to the fulfillment of the mission.
Acknowledgments: The author wishes to thank neurologist Kevin Gaffney, MD, and pathologist Monica Griffin, MD, based in The Woodlands, Texas, for their support in preparing this article.