At Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital (DPCH), physicians make critical decisions every day—diagnosing young patients, directing care teams, and coordinating with specialists across the organization. Being a physician is inherently a leadership role, but developing and refining collaborative skills in a healthcare setting can be challenging.

“Physicians train in a world of individual achievement,” says DPCH president and CEO Matt Schaefer. “In medical school and residency, they must compete with peers and stand out as individuals. Then, when they become practicing physicians, we expect them to figure out how to lead teams.”

Schaefer and other DPCH leaders saw an opportunity to support doctors and intentionally cultivate leadership, leading to a partnership between the hospital and Graduate and Executive Education (GEE) at Haslam. The organizations collaborated to design a custom physician leadership program to address the skills gap in the healthcare community. Launched in spring 2024, the program equips participants with practical and applicable leadership skills, strengthens communication between physicians and administrators, and prepares healthcare leaders to meet the business challenges faced by hospitals.

A Leadership Program Designed for DPCH

The only freestanding, independently governed pediatric health system in Tennessee, DPCH has served the Knoxville community for nearly 90 years. Today, it supports around half a million patient encounters annually at more than 20 locations across the region, spanning primary care, urgent care, and myriad pediatric specialties.

David Stevens (HCB, ’75), who serves on the Haslam Dean’s Advisory Council and DPCH’s board of directors, recognized the opportunity to strengthen leadership development for physicians. After he connected Schaefer with Haslam faculty, the two organizations aligned through several discussions and ultimately created a physician leadership program for DPCH funded by Stevens. Led by Jim Rosenberg, the director of corporate engagement and faculty director for the DPCH program, Haslam’s team drew on its experience working with physicians in the college’s executive MBA programs and designing a similar program for UT Medical Center (UTMC). “We had proven models and expertise on what works in the classroom for physicians, including how to navigate around their time commitments and how to engage them,” Rosenberg says. “We brought all of that into play when developing the DPCH program.”

Working closely with Schaefer, Rosenberg and the Haslam team shaped a plan for a yearlong leadership academy. Each year’s cohort includes eight to 10 participants who meet for a half day each month on the UT campus. The small size is intentional: it encourages in-depth discussion and experiential learning. “These are physicians who see each other every day in the clinical environment, but they’re usually talking about patients,” Schaefer says. “In the leadership program, they have time to get to know one another and gain a better appreciation for their colleagues.”

A different Haslam faculty expert leads each monthly session, and the curriculum builds competency in communication strategies, negotiation, change management, and healthcare finance. Participating physicians explore topics such as strategic planning, collaborative problem-solving with stakeholders, and the complexities of financial statements.

Because the program is tailored specifically to DPCH, faculty use real case studies and documents rather than hypothetical examples, a focus that helps participants immediately grasp and apply the concepts. “Faculty can walk through DPCH financial statements to provide better understanding for physicians,” Stevens says. Discussions also center on real challenges at the hospital. “Their classwork applies where they work every day, making it easy to understand and put what they’re learning into action.”

“In 2025 it’s not just about what is technically possible at any cost. Understanding and optimizing the interplay of those constraints requires an understanding of business and leadership, not just medical knowledge.“

– John Crawford, pediatric orthopedic surgeon at DPCH

Deepening Connections and Understanding

Since the program began in 2024, physician feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Stevens says several participants from the inaugural cohort told him they appreciated the chance to collaborate outside the hospital setting and get to know one another on a deeper level. “It’s helping to bring together leaders from the administrative and clinical sides, giving them a common language and a mutual appreciation for one another.”

Schaefer, who joined the first cohort himself, enjoyed watching participants experience moments of discovery about how they lead and think. Notably, no one in the cohort missed a single session. “That commitment speaks to the value they saw in the program,” he says. “For me, it was fun to watch a bunch of really smart people learn new ways to be effective.”

DPCH chief medical officer Suzanne Rybczynski, also a member of the inaugural cohort, explains that the program gave her a rare opportunity to bond with physician leaders outside the clinical environment. “The academic setting allows participants to think beyond the four walls at DPCH and learn the business behind the care they provide,” she says. “This new perspective has made my job easier, enhancing communication and trust between the medical staff and me. Our physician leaders now have a shared understanding of the complexity of hospital operations.”

Pediatric surgeon and DPCH’s chief surgical officer W. Glaze Vaughan appreciates the professional growth he gained from the program. “The tools provided have enriched my leadership journey and given me confidence in my ability to lead through the complexities and uncertainties of healthcare,” he says. “The faculty were engaging, fun, and in full command of the content.”

For John Crawford, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and current chief of medical staff at DPCH, the program created space to build relationships across departments and specialties, breaking down typical silos. “These relationships enable far greater professional community engagement and empower personal influence over DPCH’s future strategy and allocation of resources,” Crawford says. He also found value in exploring how to deliver excellent patient care amid the financial pressures of today’s healthcare system. “In 2025, it’s not just about what is technically possible at any cost. The financial constraints include people, facilities, schedules, medicines, and tools, among other variables. Understanding and optimizing the interplay of those constraints requires an understanding of business and leadership, not just medical knowledge.”

“In the leadership program, they have time to get to know one another and gain a better appreciation for their colleagues.”

– Matt Schaefer, DPCH president and CEO

Fostering Physician Leaders

Schaefer’s main hope for the program is that participants walk away recognizing they are leaders. “I want them to embrace that role and feel more equipped to carry it,” he says. “I also want them to have insight into how to lead their peers and to appreciate those who are already leading. Ultimately, DPCH wants to invest in their success for the sake of the patients and families we serve.”

Stevens sees the program already strengthening physician leaders. “We have terrific clinicians and arming them with additional business background makes them stronger as physicians and us stronger as an institution.” He’s also thrilled to see the partnership between Haslam and DPCH flourish. “I’m a big fan of both organizations, and to have them so physically close together that 10 physicians can literally walk a few blocks to the college for class as opposed to traveling out of town is great.”

Kate Atchley, executive director of GEE’s healthcare division at Haslam, says the partnership reflects a broader commitment to translating academic strength into practical impact, showing how business education can improve care delivery, operational effectiveness, and system-level decision-making. “There’s a quiet power in what our healthcare programs are building across East Tennessee,” she says. “Each cohort becomes part of an emerging network of clinicians and executives who can toggle between bedside realities and system-level strategy without losing their footing. The result is a homegrown cadre of people who understand the constraints and possibilities of healthcare in this region—and can move the system forward, rather than wait for solutions to be imposed from elsewhere.”