Capella Health

Mentoring: Is it necessary?
If so, whose responsibility is it?

By Erik Swensson, MD, FACS
Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer

It’s a daunting task for a young physician to become an expert in medical knowledge and technical expertise while navigating how the layers of personnel in the medical community work as a team and at the same time successfully balancing their family and personal life.

No one learns this in medical school or residency and it is not at all intuitive. It takes decades to master these diverse areas and that’s assuming it’s even possible.

Most physicians fail in one area or the other in the first five years of their practice. Some studies show turnover rates in physician practices as high as 50% in the first two years. Divorce among physicians is high, with surgeons having the highest rates.

In the past when a new physician entered a small group practice, there were partners who realized their success was linked to the new recruit’s success – both reputationally and financially. It was, after all, the group that was paying for the new physician’s startup costs. So the longer it took the new recruit to build a full practice, the longer the established members of the group were subsidizing the new physician. Because the group recognized the symbiotic relationship, the young physician was often mentored on both professional and personnel issues. Senior partners were often available at a moment’s notice to provide insight into a difficult or perplexing medical or surgical case. They were also around to coach the newly arrived doctor on the nuances of building a practice, whether that was how to cultivate referrals, how to build a practice consisting of good long-term patients, or help with personal matters.

I can remember sitting down in Dr. Roysters’ office, one of my senior partners, in the first couple of weeks of my practice in 1985 and being told the “tricks of the trade,” and why they worked. He opened up my eyes to how each specialty in medicine looks at the other and therefore how they viewed me. This awareness of others and how they see you is vital to professional success, actually to any success. There was great comfort in knowing that my partners were always available to answer my questions or come to the O.R. day or night to help me. It might just be a two-minute phone call or a two-hour middle of the night case, but they never complained. I believe it was a great experience for both of us. By taking advantage of these opportunities, it not only allowed me to improve my surgical judgment and build my confidence, but by following their recommendations I soon had a very successful practice. It allowed me to positively affect the lives of thousands of people. For the time they gave me, my partners experienced the satisfaction of watching me grow as a professional and colleague. They watched me become a positive force for “their” group.

When I started a surgical group in Oregon, I did the same thing my mentors had done. When I added partners, I did my best to mentor them in the same way my partners had done decades before. The physician with good judgment will understand that as a new doctor they need mentoring and they will often ask for help or advice and follow the recommendations of their peers. For the established physician, the advice and time should be given because they feel that not only is it necessary, but it’s the right thing to do. They will learn as well.

Mentoring is not something that can be forced on anyone – either the mentor or the mentee. Members of today’s medical staff have little chance to interact on a daily basis and so the practice of medicine is even more individual than it was in the past. There is less time, less money and more competition between individual physicians. All of this makes the time-honored practice of mentoring more difficult, but with the shortened training hours mandated by the government and the multitude of governmental regulations we all face, both new and seasoned physicians need support – and the bonds that mentoring provides – now more than ever.

New Physician Leadership Resource Library Launched

Having committed physicians serving in important roles such as those in governance, peer review and credentialing is vital to the success of a medical staff and a hospital. Taking on a formal medical staff leadership position is challenging enough. But it’s even more difficult without training or resources. That’s why Capella Healthcare has invested in leadership training and resources. And, this quarter, we just launched a new Physician Leadership Resource Library on our website to make accessing these resources even easier. To access the resources, go to CapellaHealthcare.com/PhysicianLeadership which is in the “For Physicians” section of the website. The password for The Advisory Board documents posted there is:  CapellaHealthcare

“Many medical staffs have funds to invest in training their leaders. Sometimes the hospital administration can also support these efforts,” said Dr. Erik Swensson, SVP, Chief Medical Officer. “However the responsibility rests with the physicians to become experts in these critical areas that impact all physicians. Our Physician Leadership Library places many of the tools needed right at your fingertips.”

Physicians who have suggestions for the Resource Library or questions about access may contact Dr. Swensson at [email protected]

Without the commitment and expertise of medical staff leaders and individual physicians, these hospital achievements would not have been possible.

      Capital Medical Center (Olympia, WA) has earned the Blue Distinction “Total Value” designation for both knee/hip replacement surgery as well as spine surgery. Blue Distinction® is a national designation program, developed in collaboration with the medical community to recognize facilities that demonstrate expertise in delivering quality specialty care – safely, efficiently and cost-effectively. The Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery and Knee and Hip Replacement are the first designations to factor in new cost criteria to help drive more informed choices.

      DeKalb Community Hospital (Smithville, TN) earned “stroke-ready” designation following comprehensive training and a mock drill. They are now part of the Saint Thomas Stroke Network, along with sister hospitals Highlands Medical Center (Sparta, TN) and River Park Hospital (McMinnville, TN).

      Grandview Medical Center (Jasper, TN) was recognized by MedLine Industries for its excellence in preventing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. Grandview experienced dramatic results over a 12-month period with zero reportable hospital-acquired pressure ulcers during that time.

      Highlands Medical Center (Sparta, TN) was selected to present at The Advisory Board’s recent CRIMSON Clinical Advantage educational program. Of the 109 participants across the country, HMC was selected to present not one but two opportunities that were identified through the platform.

      EASTAR Health System made significant progress over five quarters in decreasing their Joint Commission’s Strategic Surveillance System (or S3) score. This demonstrates tangible progress in creating a safe high-quality environment for patients. The S3 tool uses data that The Joint Commission currently has which includes past survey findings, ORYX® core measure data, HCAHPS data and more. Through first quarter, EASTAR’s scores were better than the state and national averages as well as the average magnet or university hospital.

Both Mineral Area Regional Medical Center (Farmington, MO) and Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center (Russellville, AR) earned an A on The LeapFrog Group’s Hospital Safety Score this past period.

Obstetricians at River Park Hospital (McMinnville, TN) have significantly decreased early elective deliveries, partnering with Healthy Tennessee Babies are Worth the Wait, a partnership launched last year by the Tennessee Center for Patient Safety, THA, March of Dimes and others.

      Southwestern Medical Center (Lawton, OK) has been named by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the nation’s “100 Great Places to Work in Healthcare.”

      Willamette Valley Medical Center (McMinnville, OR) received Joint Commission Disease-Specific Certification for its Joint Program, both hips and knees. There were no findings or requirements for improvement (RFI) from the certification survey.