The challenge

When physician leaders encounter challenges in their role, it can be difficult to get quick, confidential feedback from peers about how to lead through them. This can leave leaders feeling overwhelmed or unsupported and may result in disengagement and even burnout.

The organization

Community Health Network is an Indianapolis-based, non-profit health system with more than 15,000 employees. They have more than 200 sites of care and affiliates throughout Central Indiana including specialty and acute care hospitals, surgery centers, home care services, MedChecks, and behavioral health and employer services.

The approach

Community Health Network launched leadership lounges to provide physician and APP leaders with a confidential space to connect with one another and work through challenges. Lounges are hour-long, small group discussions facilitated by Community Health’s VP of Physician Leadership Development where leaders bring dilemmas they’re facing and brainstorm with their peers about how to lead through them.

The result

To date, Community Health Network has run approximately 10 virtual leadership lounges with a total of 25-30 leaders. The leadership development team has received positive feedback from participants, and those who attend appreciate the timely guidance from their peers. During the pandemic, lounges also helped combat isolation as leaders faced new challenges around rapid communication, safety and virtual connection.