Alliance for Physician Leadership

The Alliance curriculum provides physician leaders with the knowledge and skills to:

• • measure and control medical service costs
  • mediate conflict and increase negotiating effectiveness
  • lead change and create organizational alignment through adaptive leadership
  • make financial decisions that increase organizational value
  • improve the quality and efficiency of clinical and administrative services
  • use data analytics and advanced information technologies to control costs and improve outcomes
  • build strategic alliances that create competitive advantage
  • effectively cope with regulatory change and oversight

Residential Core Curriculum

The core curriculum is composed of nine residential classes, each dealing with an essential competency of physician leadership. Classes meet in Dallas on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas  in focused 4-day sessions—Saturday through Tuesday—to minimize time away from practice. A different class is offered every two months and classes may be started at any time and taken in any order.

The curriculum is case based and centered around real-life healthcare issues and problems. Classes are jointly taught by senior faculty and a select group of experienced physician executives in an interactive setting that encourages discussion and shared learning. The nine classes include:

Negotiation and Conflict Management in Healthcare

Develops the critical negotiation and mediation skills needed to increase professional influence and effectiveness. Using real-life examples of healthcare conflicts, physicians learn to:

• recognize and leverage their sources of personal power in a negotiation
• identify and respond to the other party’s interests as opposed to their position
• successfully mediate disagreement and conflict among professional colleagues
• have difficult conversations that preserve the long-term relationship

Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations

Develops the critical ability to make financial decisions that reduce risk and create economic value. Using actual clinical financial and operating data, physicians learn to:

• analyze and interpret healthcare financial statements
• use discounted cash flow analysis to financially evaluate major investment decisions
• financially evaluate a proposed healthcare acquisition, partnership or joint venture
• determine the financial value of a healthcare practice or facility 

Medical Cost and Performance Management

Develops powerful tools to measure and control healthcare costs and improve operating performance. Using actual clinical data, physicians learn to:

• identify and control key cost drivers in a medical practice
• determine the true per unit cost of their medical services
• use breakeven and contribution margin analysis to manage service line profitability
• use flexible budgeting and cost variance analysis to effectively control spending

Quality and Performance Improvement in Healthcare

Develops the knowledge and skills needed to improve the quality of both clinical and patient service processes. Using both hospital and clinical data, physicians learn to:

• evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of existing clinical processes
• identify and eliminate redundancy, bottlenecks and non value-added activities
• utilize advanced information and communication technologies to enhance access and improve outcomes
• improve patient safety and create a patient-centric service culture

Healthcare Information Management and Technology

Develops the critical skills needed to manage and make more effective use of healthcare data and information technology. Using real-life case studies, physicians learn to:

• use the power of data analytics to control costs, increase profitability and improve patient outcomes
• utilize advanced information and communication technologies for clinical decision support
• gain physician buy-in for using health IT as a critical tool for improving clinical delivery and productivity
• utilize emerging disruptive technologies to improve medical service delivery

Strategic Management of Healthcare Organizations

Develops the strategic thinking skills needed to create a competitive advantage. Using actual health system case studies, physicians learn to:

• critically assess their organization’s internal and external competitive strengths and weaknesses
• use value chain analysis to strategically position their organization or medical practice
• identify potential strategic partners and alliances
• identify a set of medical services that offers a unique patient value

Healthcare Policy and Regulation (Washington, DC)

Class meets in Washington, D.C., where physicians meet with key legislators, lobbyists, administrators and media representatives to:

• study the complex process by which healthcare legislation makes its way through Congress
• explore the role of lobbyists and the media in shaping congressional and public opinion on health policy issues
• learn how the administrative bureaucracy transforms legislation into statutory law
• discuss healthcare regulatory enforcement with the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of Inspector General

Skills and Competencies of Effective Physician Leaders

Develops the key personal skills and competencies physician leaders need to be successful in their leadership role. Using lecture, case studies and class interaction, physicians learn how to:

• make effective use of the levers of personal power and influence to overcome resistance
• communicate a vision in a manner that will align and motivate people
• adapt their personal communication style to achieve their objectives
• recognize how emotional intelligence and motivational needs influence leadership success

Leading in Complex Organizations

Examines the design, decision hierarchy and organizational culture of complex, contemporary healthcare organizations and the challenges they present to those who lead them. Using real-life case studies, physicians learn how to:

• redesign organizational structure and decision hierarchy to improve physician performance
• lead change through the use of adaptive leadership practices
• build successful coalitions and manage internal conflict
• positively influence and shape their organization’s culture

Each 4-day class is eligible for 4 semester hours of graduate academic credit.  Two of the classes are eligible for 32 hours each of AMA PRA Category 1™ credit, including 4 hours of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Degree Options

Physicians have the option of earning either a Master of Science in Healthcare Leadership & Management OR a Healthcare Management Executive MBA. Both degrees require completion of the Residential Core curriculum.

Master of Science in Healthcare Leadership & Management

The Master of Science degree provides the critical knowledge and credentials for physicians who have assumed—or are preparing to assume—an administrative or leadership role in their organization. It requires completion of the nine Residential Core classes or any eight classes plus a self-directed field study.

Healthcare Management Executive MBA

The Healthcare Management Executive MBA is the business degree preferred by physicians who wish to transition into an executive management role. It requires completion of the Residential Core plus six additional online general business classes. The online classes provide an integrated overview of functional areas of management as well as analytical tools for effective executive decision making. They include:

Statistics and Data Analysis

A broad introduction to the principles and techniques of data analysis and statistical inference, including descriptive statistics, probability, sampling distributions, hypothesis testing and regression analysis.

Business Economics

Economic analysis of important business issues, including determination of market prices, trade theory and the effects of alternative tax policies on public welfare.

Marketing Management

An overview of marketing management principles and methods, including product pricing, promotion and distribution decisions.

Financial Management

An introduction to corporate financial decision making, including financial planning, the cost of capital, capital project selection, corporate financing decisions and working capital management.

Operations Management

Examines techniques and analytical models managers use to systematically plan, design operate and control business processes.

Global Business 

A broad examination of the international business environment and its impact on the trade and investment decisions of global firms.

The online business classes are semester based and may be started any time after beginning the residential core curriculum. U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Naveen Jindal School of Management among the top 5 distance learning MBA providers in the world. The online classes require no on-campus visits.