Haslam began its physician leadership work more than 25 years ago with the Physician Executive MBA (PEMBA) program, which has since educated more than 1,000 physician leaders. Over time, college faculty have created a series of custom programs for health systems seeking to strengthen patient care and organizational stability through stronger physician leadership.

In 2013, the college launched a custom physician leadership program at the request of Keith Gray (PEMBA, ’14), CEO at the UTMC in Knoxville. Gray approached Haslam to help bridge the gap between clinical expertise and leadership skills so physicians entering administrative roles would have the training required to thrive. The resulting Physicians’ Leadership Academy (PLA) at UTMC has now run nine times and graduated more than 120 participants, including all the physician leaders in UTMC’s C-suite. Five years ago, UTMC also launched the Healthcare Leadership Academy (HCLA), developed in collaboration with Haslam,
to cultivate non-physician leaders.

“Today, our health system is physician-led and thriving,” says Gray. “Our board of directors regards the PLA and HCLA as among the most impactful investments the organization has made in the past quarter century.” 

Over the years, Haslam has refined the PLA’s design to reflect current issues in medicine, physicians’ learning preferences, and the realities of their demanding schedules. The model brings physicians together to form a community of leaders who share a common language of leadership and can continue supporting one another long after the program concludes.

It is also adaptable: the framework is tailored to each health system’s culture, goals, and context. “We always start a conversation with their leaders and adapt the program to their needs,” says faculty director and director of corporate engagement Jim Rosenberg. “Healthcare carries tremendous pressure. Our goal is to help physicians learn leadership strategies that put humans—their team members and patients—at the center.”