The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70992

Sudha Xirasagar, PhD¹, Michael E. Samuels, DrPH², and Carleen H. Stoskopf, ScD². (1) Arnold School of Public Health, Dept. of Health Administration, University of South Carolina, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 576 6093, sxirasagar@sc.edu, (2) Health Administration, University of South Carolina, School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208

Executive directors (EDs) of the federally-assisted community health centers (CHCs) were surveyed for their perceptions of leadership styles of their medical directors. Bass & Avolio’s (1995) Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used with a section covering demographic variables and clinical goal achievements of the CHC. The MLQ measures the full range of possible leader behaviors, from laissez faire (non-leadership), transactional leadership, passive and active, through transformational leadership. The survey response rate was 38% (total 265 responses). The profile of medical directors’ leadership styles will be presented. Leader behaviors that are significantly associated with CHC clinical goal achievement, and with rated effectiveness by the EDs will be identified. No empirical studies on physician leadership are documented so far. This study is the first to document physician leadership styles as experienced by others, using an instrument measuring the full range of possible leader behaviors. It is also the first to quantitatively document clinical goal achievement, and its relationship to leader behavior scores. The study will help identify which leadership styles of physician leaders have greater influence potential to achieve clinical goals. The study findings have major implications for enhancing the role and mission effectiveness of CHCs in delivering care for underserved populations, and for the physician community in general, to develop specific leadership styles that enable greater effectiveness and influence potential to improve health care delivery in America. Effective physician leadership is the key to improving the quality and effectiveness of health care, especially in a managed care setting.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn what are the dominant leadership styles among physicians, and which ones consistently associate with leader effectiveness in terms of achieving clinical goals of the organization, and in terms of effectiveness as rated by the supervisor, in a community health center (CHC) setting. The study will provide guidelines to administrators and physicians as to which type of leader behaviors should be developed by appropriate training and mindset to move towards the styles that are empirically demonstrated to be more effective in influencing others' performance, especially in a CHC setting. Due to its empirical research base, this study will provide for the first time, insights into what works for physician leader effectiveness, and has major implications for physician leadership development, not only in CHCs but also in other settings where physicians are responsible for clinical goals to be achieved through others. Given the current role of managed care and pervasive commitment to cost control and quality, the study will help provide some direction for physician leadership development efforts, and set the stage for further research on physician leadership in other settings.

Keywords: Leadership, Physicians

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.