Interprofessional academic health center leadership development: the case of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Healthcare Leadership Academy

Grant T Savage; W Jack Duncan; Kathy L Knowles; Kathleen Nelson; David A Rogers; Karen N Kennedy

doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2013.07.001

Interprofessional academic health center leadership development: the case of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Healthcare Leadership Academy

Appl Nurs Res. 2014 May;27(2):104-8. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2013.07.001. Epub 2013 Aug 29.

Authors

Grant T Savage¹, W Jack Duncan², Kathy L Knowles³, Kathleen Nelson⁴, David A Rogers⁵, Karen N Kennedy⁶

Affiliations

¹ MISQ Department, School of Business, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-4460, USA. Electronic address: gsavage@uab.edu.
² Health Care Organization and Policy Department, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0022, USA.
³ Office of Faculty Development, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-3412, USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA.
⁵ Department of Surgery and Office of Faculty Development, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-3412, USA.
⁶ MIDE Department, School of Business, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-4460, USA.

PMID: 23993745
DOI: 10.1016/j.apnr.2013.07.001

Abstract

Aim: The study describes the genesis of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA), highlights the HLA's outcomes, discloses how the HLA has changed, and delineates future directions for academic health center (AHC) interprofessional leadership training.

Background: While interprofessional training is recognized as an important component of the professional education for health professionals, AHCs have not focused on interprofessional leadership training to prepare future AHC leaders. As professional bureaucracies, AHCs require leadership distributed across different professions; these leaders not only should be technical experts, but also skilled at interprofessional teamwork and collaborative governance.

Methods: The HLA is examined using the case method, which is supplemented with a descriptive analysis of program evaluation data and outcomes.

Results: The HLA has created a networked community of AHC leaders; the HLA's interprofessional team projects foster innovative problem solving.

Conclusions: Interprofessional leadership training expands individuals' networks and has multiple organizational benefits.

Keywords: Interprofessional training; Leadership; Networks; Organizational development.

MeSH terms

Academic Medical Centers*
Alabama
Curriculum
Delivery of Health Care*
Female
Humans
Interprofessional Relations*
Leadership*
Male
Models, Educational*
Models, Nursing*
Staff Development* / methods
Surveys and Questionnaires
Teaching / methods