‘Every one of us should be thinking about succession planning,’ GI expert says
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ARLINGTON, Va. — Being proactive when preparing for transition of leadership is “mandatory” for the ongoing success of a health care organization, according to a presenter at GI Outlook.
“Succession planning is simply a strategy or process for identifying and developing future leaders,” Joseph J. Vicari, MD, MBA, FASGE, a gastroenterologist at Rockford Gastroenterology Associates and course co-director for GI Outlook 2022, said. “As we all know, leaders within our group — whether they’re physicians, clinical administrators or businesses administrators — change and it’s best if we can prepare for those ahead of time. It’s very simply an important replacement process.”
Succession planning is pertinent to organization success, he said, and ensures optimal operations and management over time while eliminating confusion for employees. This planning process also allows employees to have a voice.
“You can’t plan for a disaster,” Vicari said, “but this helps someone disaster plan: You’re prepared, and the new leaders are prepared to take on the challenges that existed and have a new plan for the organization.”
Succession also gives staff a sense of comfort in knowing who their new leader will be. Vicari advised organizations to be proactive and start 2 to 5 years ahead of the transition, keeping the “big picture” in mind.
“By planning ahead, you maintain the clarity of the vision of the organization, so you can maintain that consistency and balance across the organization and nothing changes,” he added.
The key to successful succession is finding the perfect person to fill the role, Vicari said. He suggested searching for candidates with integrity, the ability to listen and compromise, and a mindset that puts the patient first, followed by the organization and lastly, the individual.
“You’ve got to listen to many different opinions, and that art of compromise is very important to being a successful leader,” he said.
Education is also critical, and Vicari cited several pathways for physician leadership training, including accepting leadership roles within the practice and attending national and regional courses sponsored by gastroenterology societies.
“There is a formal path,” Vicari told attendees. “The American Association for Physician Leadership offers classes for an executive or certified degree, or you can go all the way and complete a master’s degree in medical management or an MBA that has a focus in health care.”
Although Vicari said it is not mandatory that physician leaders have an MBA or an advanced degree, he added, “In this day and age, it is probably the preferred route.”
Mentoring is also a critical component in training future practice leaders, providing on-the-job learning and insight into the organization’s leadership culture.
“Every one of us should be thinking about succession planning,” Vicari said. “I’m sure over time, you will have to deal with change in leadership so have a process in place, identify key characteristics for your group and make sure there’s an education and mentoring process in place for physician leaders.”
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Vicari JJ. Succession planning for your organization. Presented at: GI Outlook; Aug. 13-14, 2022; Arlington, Va.
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