Pipeline Promise: Cultivating the Next Generation of Health Leaders

The healthcare safety net, and the community clinics field in particular, has long experienced challenges with the recruitment and retention of its leaders. Emerging leaders often lack opportunities and supports to prepare them with the confidence, knowledge and skills necessary to assume more senior level positions. With many healthcare organizations facing an impending leadership gap, while also dealing with complex changes imminent from healthcare reform, it is even more imperative to take steps to ensure that a strong and healthy pipeline of individuals exists who are ready to assume senior leadership roles. During this session, a panel comprising a Blue Shield of California Foundation program officer, a leadership program evaluator and an emerging clinic leader will discuss their experiences designing, evaluating and receiving a variety of leadership development supports, with a focus on the Foundation's signature leadership development program—the Clinic Leadership Institute—and two other leadership support programs that have evolved from these efforts. The panelists will discuss the need to view leadership in a broad way that includes collective, team-based and networked approaches, and draw on their experiences with health-related and broader nonprofit leadership supports as applicable.