GI Outlook roundup: Leadership, diversity, staffer retention
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After 2 years, the GI Outlook conference recently returned to its regularly scheduled ‘in-person’ event, with media partner Healio onsite in Arlington, Va. to report on how gastroenterology practice has changed during the pandemic.
As in previous years, GI Outlook 2022 addressed upcoming trends in management of a GI practice, while providing a unique insight on what other practices have implemented to remain competitive and successful in a rapidly changing health care landscape. Topics new to 2022 include the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in practice, tips for being a great boss, succession planning and more.
‘Tolerance should not be the norm’: Prioritizing diversity efforts in health care practice
Incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion into health care practice benefits both patients and employees through improved communication, efficiency, education and care, according to a presenter at GI Outlook.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, is a term that we frequently hear and is used to describe policies and programs that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals,” Victoria Gómez, MD, FASGE, associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, said. “That’s great, but what exactly do each of these letters mean?” Read more.
VIDEO: Modern health care practices need ‘three-pronged’ defense against cyberattacks
In a Healio video exclusive, Jody Jankovsky, founder and CEO of Black Line IT, discusses the importance of having proper cybersecurity protection for gastroenterology practices.
“There is a three-pronged approach to how we can combat and protect — it’s really about protection of the modern health care facility or health care office,” Jankovsky said. “First, you must have a solid foundation of the right technology to protect against the more straightforward attacks. The second is training for your people who are the No. 1 target of these cyberattacks, and the third piece is insurance as the backstop in case they get through — that is what the modern practice needs to have.” Read more.
Expert: ‘Retention is key’ amid growing provider shortages
Staffer retention impacts the quality of patient care and is even more essential with growing provider shortages, according to a presentation at GI Outlook.
“The Medical Group Management Association did a poll that found three in four medical practices ranked staffing as their biggest challenge going into 2022, and we’re already halfway through and noticing that going into 2023 it is not getting any better,” Eric Rose, MBA, group vice president of HCA Physician Services Group, said. “Certainly, we’ve seen that COVID-19 has really thrown a wrench and a lot of things are happening. Everything has changed, and this is the new normal. Staffing and recruitment strategies are going to impact everything that we do.” Read more.
VIDEO: Consolidation ‘not just about getting bigger — it’s about getting better’
In a Healio exclusive, Jim Leavitt, MD, FASGE, director of clinical quality and outcomes at Gastro Health in Miami, discusses the trends, benefits and risks of consolidation in gastroenterology practice.
“We need to consolidate — it’s our obligation to lead health care reform, and it would be difficult for us to do that without consolidation,” Leavitt said. “Our role is to be the best advocates for our patients, so I think the benefits are significant. This would benefit our practice, our partners, our profession and, most importantly, our patients.” Read more.
‘Every one of us should be thinking about succession planning,’ GI expert says
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.” Read more.
VIDEO: Impactful communication requires ‘truly listening to your audience’
In a Healio video exclusive, Edward Sun, MD, MBA, FASGE, assistant chief medical officer at Stony Brook University Hospital, emphasized how important “truly listening” is to impactful communication, at GI Outlook.
“My focus in the breakout session will be on communicating with impact, discussing the difference between effective communication and impactful communication,” Sun said. “We then break down the components to impactful communication [and] we discuss the importance of listening to your audience – truly listening – and approaching any communication from a mindset of transparency, consideration, compassion and curiosity.” Read more.
Expert: Follow these 7 tips to be a great boss, keep employees engaged
Good bosses manage projects and supervise employees, but great bosses bring out the best in their staff and create an engaging, healthy work environment, according to a speaker at GI Outlook.
“Gallup defines engagement as employees who work with passion, feel a profound connection, drive innovation and move the organization forward,” Allison Linney, MBA, founder and president of consulting firm Allison Partners in Charlottesville, Va., said. “Actively disengaged employees are pretty stressful: They’re very unhappy and they’re actively working to make you unhappy. They’re the folks who just make everything complicated for everyone.” Read more.
VIDEO: Recognize generational differences to foster connection, retention in practice
In a Healio video exclusive, Anne Marie Lennon, MD, PhD, FASGE, discusses how to attract and retain the next generation of gastroenterologists as the specialty faces ongoing physician shortages.
“When you look at generations, it’s not a one-size-fits-all, but there are certain similar characteristics and experiences that individuals in different generations have that can impact people’s communication, motivation, the way that they process and their preferences,” Lennon, professor of medicine and director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said. “Understanding what the differences in generations are helps individuals connect, and ultimately, helps influence individuals.” Read more.