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Separately Together:
A New Path to Healthy Hospital-Physician Relations
C. Marlena Fiol, PhD
Edward J. O'Connor, PhD
ISBN 13: 978-1-56793-337-6
Softbound, 216 pp, 2009
Imprint: ACHE Management Series Book
Order code: 2138
Price: $79.00
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Separately Together provides an unconventional perspective on administrator–physician relations. The authors believe that the vital first steps in building collaboration among the conflicting groups are to pull them apart and to strengthen each group separately. Physicians and administrators should not have to sacrifice their distinctiveness to be part of the whole. The key is to develop “us and them” versus “us or them” thinking.
This book describes a unique four-step process for moving from conflict to collaboration:
1.Creating mutual desire and readiness to change
2.Moving from destructive stereotyping to healthy debate
3.Enhancing each group’s security about the unique value they contribute to the overall system
4.Committing to a joint purpose without sacrificing the separate strength and security of each group
After the steps in each phase are explained, the authors discuss how to anticipate resistance to the process and move through roadblocks. Self-assessment tools are included that allow you to evaluate your progress, and recommended exercises help you to engage physicians and administrators in the process.
C. Marlena Fiol, PhD, has over 30 years of experience in strategic management and organizational design. Dr. Fiol is a professor of strategy and health administration at the University of Colorado Denver and a principal with the Implementation Institute, a Denver-based consulting and training firm. Dr. Fiol has been a frequent speaker at international, national, and regional meetings. |
Edward J. O’Connor, PhD, is a professor of management and health administration at the University of Colorado Denver, a principal with the Implementation Institute, and a faculty member of the American College of Physician Executives. Previously he served on business and psychology faculties at the universities of Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas and at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. O’Connor has written more than 150 research articles, book chapters, papers, and technical documents. |
“Separately Together outlines a breakthrough methodology that healthcare leaders can use to rewrite the future of their organizations. Conflict between physicians and administrators is holding many organizations back from breakthrough gains in quality, safety and the patient experience. The authors provide a compelling case for performance improvement for organizations that apply the four-phase method described in the book. The case studies demonstrate how this can be done in any hospital. I believe this is an important book for healthcare leaders to read in anticipation of healthcare reform initiatives.”
—John Lucas, MD, CEO, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center |
“Separately Together articulates a number of the counter-intuitive truths necessary for physicians and hospital leaders to find common ground. The authors provide give a step-by-step process for to achieving a relationship that endures.”
—J. Knox Singleton, President and CEO, Inova Health System |
"The current debate over health reform has highlighted the absolute necessity of aligning hospitals and physicians—but the task is easier said than done. Separately Together is an excellent resource for healthcare executives, medical staff leaders, and their advisers who know that alignment must be done but need help doing it. Drawing on best practices from groups who have learned how to resolve similar conflicts, the book presents a balanced array of practical hints and proven techniques for mobilizing the stakeholders and moving them toward the benefits of collaboration."
—Jeffrey C. Bauer, PhD, Partner, ACS Healthcare Solutions |
"Separately Together provides a refreshingly new perspective on the decades-old challenge of building collaboration between hospitals and physicians. It presents practical tools for managing the disconnect that often exists between physicians and hospital management. The authors supply specific strategies for aligning these groups in the quest for improving both clinical and financial outcomes.”
—Errol L. Biggs, PhD, FACHE, Director, Graduate Programs in Health Administration, University of Colorado Denver |
"Separately Together is a valuable resource for new CEOs who have inherited a dysfunction relationship with the medical staff. The book provides a road map for getting things back on track. The authors offer a unique way to solve the seemingly irreconcilable differences between physicians and healthcare executives.”
—John Jeter, MD, President and CEO, Hays Medical Center |
“The real difficulty in brokering physician-administrator understanding centers around getting the attention of the two groups and then finding the trusted leadership who can get to the early small wins. It is hard to get the real players together and keep them focused. The helpful tools described in Separately Together prompt folks to talk about commonalities instead of taking the typical positions.”
—Donald A. Pocock, MD, FACP, CPE, Chief Medical Officer, Morton Plant Mease Health Care |
“The premise of this book appears to be counterintuitive. The ‘separate together’ approach struck me as being an oxymoron but after reading this book, I found the logic compelling and the behavioral science supporting this approach irrefutable. The idea that physicians and executives must be confident and secure in their own respective value before a collaborative relationship can be developed provided me with one of those rare ‘Aha!’ moments. This book provides not only a creative approach to improving relationships but also interesting case studies and a prescriptive process for developing healthier relationships.”
—James Shmerling, DHA, FACHE, President and CEO, The Children's Hospital |
“New paths present the traveler with uncertainty and a hint of danger. Without a map the journey can be perilous and painful. Separately Together offers a four-step roadmap for navigating one of the most challenging aspects of hospital administration. The book discusses key tactics such as pursuing of common language and creating respect by honoring distinctiveness. Simply stated, the book reinforces the mantra ‘you get what you give.’ With this guidebook in hand, the giving is less daunting and the path to healthy physician-executive relationships is navigable.”
—Joseph R. Swedish, FACHE, President and CEO, Trinity Health |
“I enjoyed reading Separately Together and found it to be both timely and relevant given the issues hospitals and physicians are facing during this period of transformation. The self-assessment exercises were helpful and provided both a brief refresher on the key issues and an outline of the essential topics of discussion.”
—Steven J. Summer, FACHE, President and CEO, Colorado Hospital Association |
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