How to Make Leadership Positions More Enticing to Primary Care Physicians

Primary care in the US is being pushed to the brink of collapse due to historic highs of physician stress, burnout, and exhaustion; mass departures from the profession; and the inability to care for vulnerable populations due to an inequitable health system. These problems are compounded due to a lack of effective advocacy to improve primary care on a national scale and a reimbursement system that chips away at time with patients while keeping primary care physicians (PCPs) on a volume-based hamster wheel. The end result is a shortage of doctors who want to practice primary care under these challenging circumstances, which can lead to potentially devastating consequences for the future of healthcare in America.

PCPs are fundamentally poised to make an impact on the organizations they lead. Healthcare organizations who understand and work to address the issues PCPs face — and encourage their professional development — will have a distinct competitive advantage. They will be able to better engage and recruit PCPs in leadership and thereby reap the benefits of better quality of care, higher patient satisfaction, and decreased provider burnout.