Participant Q&A

Susan Park, Asian Health Services, Clinical Services Manager

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Susan Park: I’ve been working at Asian Health Services for over 20 years where I’ve been a part of many projects across departments with a focus in clinic operations. Before AHS, I’ve held jobs as a staff nurse in hospitals and as a UR/QI nurse in managed care organizations. Seeing so many patients returning again and again to acute care settings prompted my interest and desire to learn more about how to keep people out of hospitals. CHCs play a crucial role in improving not only individual lives, but also promote upstream public health approach by tackling root causes of poor health outcomes in communities and foster creation of system changes.

What motivated you to join the Transformational Leader?

SP: It’s been several years since I’ve attended management trainings and was concerned that I’m out of touch with the latest theories and practices. There’s always something new to learn!

What aspect of the program did you find most valuable for your personal and professional growth, and why?

Connecting with other community health center leaders and sharing similar pain points and learning from each other. The speakers were also very dynamic. Individual coaching sessions were also extremely helpful.

Brent Sugimoto, MD, MPH, AAHIVS, FAAFP, LifeLong Medical Care, Program Director

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Brent Sugimoto: I am a family physician specializing in HIV medicine and see how inequity impacts the health of my patients, many of whom live on the margins. Joining a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with a commitment to health equity and whole person care feels like joining a movement that says that everyone in our community is valuable to its vitality.

What motivated you to join the Transformational Leader?

BS: I wanted to learn about leadership in the FQHC context, where being effective is even more critical when resources are constrained.

Why is it important to fund and promote leadership development?

BS: Those who choose to work in safety net settings choose to do so not for pay or status, but for mission. In exchange, we want to feel like we are effective in our jobs, that we have true impact. Supporting leadership development is one path towards promoting job satisfaction by showing one how to foster positive change and experience success. Agencies that value their emerging leaders are rewarded with larger bench of changemakers and greater capacity to fulfill their mission.

Program Testimonials

Click images below to read some program testimonials:

Coaching Testimonials

Return on Investment (ROI) of Leadership Development and Coaching:

What is coaching?

Coaching is a personalized developmental process that provides tailored guidance and feedback to enhance an individual’s skills and performance. In healthcare, coaching is especially beneficial as it equips leaders with the strategic and emotional tools necessary to manage complex clinical environments, improve patient outcomes, and increase operational efficiency. Through coaching, healthcare leaders develop better communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, which are crucial in high-stakes settings. It also fosters a supportive culture that enhances team collaboration and reduces burnout among staff. By focusing on personal growth and leadership capabilities, coaching ultimately ensures that healthcare organizations are more adaptable and responsive to the ever-changing demands of the medical field.

A deeper dive, here.

*Includes: recruitment, sign-on bonuses, lost billings and onboarding 

More ROI data, here.

1. https://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/Documents/Library/NSI_National_Health_Care_Retention_Report.pdf
2. https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health/how-much-physician-burnout-costing-your-organization
3. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/the-cost-of-physician-turnover.html

ROI of Leadership Development:

Improved Financial Performance & Cost Savings from Increased Efficiency 

• • Effective leaders often drive operational efficiencies, reducing waste and lowering costs.
  • Companies that prioritize employee engagement, and leadership development improves engagement, see 17% higher productivity, 20% higher sales, and 21% higher profitability (Gallup).

Increased Employee Engagement and Retention

Leadership development can lead to higher levels of employee engagement, which is linked to improved retention. Factors that improve retention – autonomy, meaning, and purpose – are often elevated through leadership development training.

• • Replacing RNs costs between $22,000 and $64,000
  • Replacing a physician can cost 2-3x annual salary of that physician
  • 91% of workers survey by the American Psychology Association said it was very or somewhat important for them to have a job where they have opportunities to learn
  • Companies that prioritize employee engagement, and leadership development improves engagement see 41% lower absenteeism (Gallup).

Better Patient Outcomes and Satisfaction

• • Companies that prioritize employee engagement, and leadership development improves engagement, see 70% fewer employee safety incidents, 58% fewer patient safety incidents, 40% fewer quality incidents (Gallup).

Next Up:

• Summer Leadership Series for Care Management Team Leaders
  • • Managers and supervisors of care management teams like CHWs, integrated behavioral health care coordinators, case managers, care navigators, HIV program managers, etc.
    • See flyers for the details! It’s got them all
• TL: we want to launch another cohort when we have funding; hopefully funding will come through in the fall. The next cohort will be open to clinic operation directors as well. These are site directors who manage facilities, scheduling, and everything that makes the clinic run smoothly! This first cohort was designed specifically for medical directors and directors who have clinical background.