Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013 - 24

A	dynamic	mix	of	internal	educational	opportunities	and	
certificate	programs,	mentorship	offerings,	and	external	
relationships	with	area	universities	virtually	ensures	a	
pipeline	of	physician	and	nonphysician	leaders.

WellStar	has	developed	a	leadership	performance	management	initiative	that	asks	professionals	to	define	one-	
and	three-year	goals	and	objectives	around	their	
leadership	commitment	within	the	organization.	These	
goals	are	captured	as	individual	metrics	and	professional	
In	the	1990s,	WellStar	collaborated	with	Kennesaw	(Ga.)	
development	plans	that	are	incorporated	into	the	perforState	University	on	the	development	of	an	MBA	program	
mance	management	process.	Leaders	are	encouraged	to	
with	a	healthcare	administration	emphasis.	This	program	
enroll	in	training	and	education	and	are	supported	as	
continues	to	turn	out	new	leaders	today,	Jennings	reports.	In	
they	continue	their	development.	Launched	recently	with	
2007,	the	system	created	the	WellStar	Development	center,	a	
WellStar’s	five	executive	vice	presidents,	three	of	whom	
formal	organizational	learning	hub	that	offers	certificate	proJennings	is	mentoring	to	possibly	fill	his	position	when	he	
grams	and	tailored	training	for	managers	and	leaders	in	a	
leaves,	the	initiative	will	eventually	grow	to	involve	senior	
variety	of	settings,	including	the	
vice	presidents,	vice	presidents	
system’s	growing	network	of	
and	the	system’s	500	manag“We believe this strategy of helping
Health	Parks	(bedless	facilities,	
ers	in	a	similar	process	of	
offering	geographically	easier	
individuals develop their career paths long-term	goal	setting.	“We	
access	to	services	and	care	for	the	
believe	this	strategy	of	helping	
will support succession planning,
system’s	primary	and	secondary	
individuals	develop	their	
cultivate a pool of qualified leaders
service	area	populations).	
career	paths	will	support	succession	planning,	cultivate	a	
and generate excitement about
To	date,	119	private	physicians	
pool	of	qualified	leaders	and	
working with our organization.”
and	advanced	practice	profesgenerate	excitement	about	
sionals	have	completed	
Reynold J. Jennings, FACHE working	with	our	organizaWellStar’s	Physician	Leadership	
tion,”	Jennings	says.	
WellStar Health System
Academy,	which	offers	classes	
on	weekends	and	not	only	
Jennings	has	also	introduced	
helps	physicians	learn	to	manage	their	own	practices	more	
an	integrated	approach	to	leadership	at	WellStar	that	takes	
effectively	but	also	helps	them	understand	the	business	of	
leaders	out	of	their	silos	and	brings	them	together	in	an	
healthcare,	the	art	of	collaborative	decision	making	and	the	 open	forum	for	the	cross-pollination	of	ideas.	Based	on	the	
balance	between	clinical	quality	and	financial	prudence.	
work	of	healthcare	consultant	Quint	Studer,	president,	
Studer	Group,	Gulf	Breeze,	Fla.,	this	group	of	meetings,	
Most	recently,	WellStar	partnered	with	the	J.	Mack	
known	as	Focus	Week,	facilitates	gatherings	around	the	
Robinson	college	of	Business	at	Georgia	State	
organization’s	pillars,	including	finance,	people,	growth,	
University,	Atlanta,	to	offer	a	professional	format	MBA/
quality	and	patient	satisfaction.	“We	may	have	as	many	
MHA	program	at	the	WellStar	learning	center	that	is	
as	30	people	in	a	room	talking	about	a	particular	issue,”	
enabling	40	WellStar	professionals	to	earn	an	advanced	
Jennings	says.	The	idea	is	to	bring	all	of	the	best	thinking	
degree	while	working	full	time.	The	system	offers	
to	the	table	and	to	engage	leaders	in	learning	about	and	
tuition	reimbursement	and	actively	encourages	mid-level	 addressing	a	variety	of	issues	affecting	the	organization	as	
managers	to	pursue	graduate	education.
a	whole,	he	notes.

24

Healthcare	Executive	
nov/DEc	2013
Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013

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