Hartford Business Journal

26 Hartford Business Journal • August 21, 2017 www.HartfordBusiness.com 26 Hartford Business Journal • August 21, 2017 www.HartfordBusiness.com SPONSORED CONTENT Electrophysiologists like Dr. Neal Lippman, Dr. Joseph Dell'Orfano and Dr. Aneesh Tolat keep up with the latest technology to provide state-of-the- art care for their patients. As the role of the physician is changing, how is Trinity Health Of New England helping doctors to become physician leaders? Dr. Berns: Medical practice in the value-based environment requires not only clinical skills, but — increasingly — management and leadership skills. Physicians now not only care for patients, but manage teams ranging from nursing, social work, pharmacy, and other services as part of a patient-centered practice. Trinity Health Of New England directly supports the development of these non-clinical skills through our Physician Leadership Institute as well as other ongoing educational seminars. In addition, much of this mentoring and leadership training happens at a peer-to-peer level, between colleagues. Throughout the organization, physicians are represented not only at the departmental level but also at the managing committee, board, and senior-leadership levels. Dr. Polokoff: While there are many influential parties responsible for patient wellbeing, only physicians take the Hippocratic Oath. That act bespeaks the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship. It also highlights that we physicians bring important criteria and perspective to health care decision-making as advocates for patient rights and our profession. The pace of change only underscores the importance of the continuity of our voices and oaths. These changes and new expectations place a new level of stress on physicians. How is Trinity Health Of New England addressing the national issue of physician burnout? Dr. Berns: Empowering and engaging physicians to solve the ongoing challenges we face is key to fighting burnout. Our approach has been to partner with our physicians, placing them in leadership roles that develop the blueprints for change, engaging physician input at all levels. This is the foundation for not only fighting provider burnout, but also the engine for driving needed change and financial performance. Our physician- and health system-led organization will serve as the center of our people-centered strategy which includes regionalizing care management and care coordination across all aspects of health, a return to health that we provide the people, not patients, who have entrusted their care to us. Dr. Shuman: Physician burnout is a troubling phenomenon in health care today. We are finding new and creative ways to make sure physicians are performing tasks that are commensurate with their education and talents. These innovations include medical scribes, increased use of advanced-practice clinicians, clear work-flow management, centralization of prior authorizations and forms as well as medical protocols for anti-coagulation management, congestive heart failure and diabetes. These are just a few of the initiatives that will allow us to focus on patient care and reduce our administrative burdens. ●

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