Evaluation of Health Leadership Development Programs

As part of a broader panel discussion focused on approaches to leadership development (“The Pipeline Promise: Cultivating the Next Generation of Health Leaders”), this session will describe Blue Shield of California Foundation's Clinic Leadership Institute (CLI) model and its effectiveness, based on the first four years of its implementation. CLI aims to engage and prepare emerging community clinic leaders to transition into more senior level positions within five to eight years. Currently, the program has 79 graduates; another 23 participants are set to graduate this June. During this session, we will share our findings from the mixed-methods evaluation that includes a variety of types of data from diverse perspectives, including participants, their colleagues (e.g., CEOs, supervisors and organizational peers), alumni and field level stakeholders. We will discuss the impacts of CLI on participants (e.g., growth in knowledge, skills, confidence, networking, careers), as well as the impacts on their organizations (e.g., clinical and operational efficiencies, positioning for health care reform) and over time, the clinics field (e.g., statewide networks). Given the benefits of the longitudinal nature of the evaluation, we will also share findings from tracking the career paths of CLI alumni over time, including changes in their roles, responsibilities and positions and its impacts on them, their organizations, networks and the field. In closing, we will share lessons learned about best practices and keys ways to support and evaluate leadership development programs that are applicable to those who design, implement or support similar efforts.