The Power of Teamwork in Healthcare:A Journey Back in Time
We sat around a large table in a restaurant sharing fond memories, recalling patient stories, and reigniting hopes for the future. This was the scene this past weekend when I visited Washington, D.C. and met up with my old team from the Pediatric Mobile Clinic Project. It’s been about 30 years since, as a young pediatrician, I had taken on a new position as medical director of an innovative healthcare delivery model of bringing comprehensive pediatric primary care to residents of public housing in D.C. in a clinic on wheels.
The team consisted of a driver/patient care specialist, nurse, social worker, nurse practitioner, doctor, administrator, and a network of community leaders who acted as our unofficial outreach team. Despite being housed within a large bureaucratic institution and dealing with patients experiencing complex medical and social challenges, we were able to serve the community well by taking care of each other.
None of us ever felt alone, isolated, or burned out despite the challenges we faced because we made it a priority to look after each other and invest in our team as much as we invested in our patients.
Increasing numbers of primary care physicians are coming to me for coaching because they feel isolated, overwhelmed with patient care demands, buried in administrative tasks, and see no clear way out. They see the demands placed upon them by corporate medicine as too much to overcome.
I know there are no easy answers, but I usually ask them to look around at the team of people surrounding them on a daily basis. It might be an MA, nurse, patient care assistant, or clinic manager. It’s usually not the CMO or CEO of the company. If they invest their time and energy into building relationships among this team of people in their closest sphere of influence, it can often make the difference between feeling miserable and finding fulfillment in their work. With a strong team who is invested in each other, the burdens thrust upon them by the institution can be mitigated.
Here are some suggestions on how you can begin building a strong team around you:
Team retreats
A facilitated retreat is a great way to kick-off the process. Spending a few hours away from the clinic to establish trusting relationships is well worth the investment of time. The loss of income from not seeing patients for this time will reap benefits in creating a collaborative work culture and retaining valuable staff members. Our Pediatric Mobile Clinic Team held retreats every 6 months making sure there was coverage for our patients, so we didn’t have to worry about being interrupted.
2. Regular team meetings
These 30–60-minute meetings can be held weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly and be combined with administrative meetings. The important point is to set aside intentional time to share positive stories, reflect on experiences, and express gratitude. Our team held these meetings weekly.
3. Brief pre-clinic huddles
Many clinics use these times to review the logistics of the day but, they can also include a brief check-in by each team member sharing something about their lives outside of the clinic. Our team had a built-in time for this as we drove the Mobile Unit to our clinic site each day.
As we finished up our lunch together last weekend, we all embraced, took photos, and promised it wouldn’t be another 25 years until we held another reunion. I walked away with a profound sense of gratitude and renewed commitment to supporting health professionals in building strong supportive teams.
What other ways have you found to build strong supportive teams within your clinical setting? I’d love to hear about them.
If you are interested in a retreat, workshop, or other group activity for your medical team, please contact me. Also, if you or someone else you know is experiencing burnout, overwhelm, or just needs some support in discerning next steps in their career, I’d love to talk to you about how coaching can help. Just contact me at joe@joeshermanmd.com or schedule here for a free video consultation. You owe it to yourself, your family, and your patients to take action.