Physicians who are mandated to attend classes or coaching for “disruptive behavior” frequently perceive themselves to be under assault from their State Medical Boards, Credential Committees, Human Resource Managers, Hospital Administration or Physician Well-Being Committees. Rarely are they given appropriate information regarding the Pros and Cons of the three major programs that provide this intervention.
Unfortunately, neither the American Medical Association nor most of the state medical boards nationwide appear to provide useful information regarding the purpose, content and value of these programs.
Currently, there are three major providers of Executive Coaching/Anger Management for “disruptive physicians” or small group CME courses for this population. The Distressed Physicians Program at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, The PACE Program and the University of California School of Medicine at San Diego were the first to offer services for “disruptive physicians”. Both of these programs began as programs for “impaired physicians”, substance abuse or sexual abuse. Neither of these programs is focused on the individual but instead offers lectures on issues related to physician burnout and related behaviors.
These institutions began providing programs for “disruptive physicians” around 2005. Both programs are limited to 6-8 participants per quarter that limits the total number of participants to 32 per year or less. All classes are provided in a group format at the two respective Medical Schools located in Nashville or San Diego.
The Anderson & Anderson Executive Coaching Program was initiated in 2007 in conjunction with a small group of physicians from a major hospital chain based in Dallas, TX. This healthcare organization wanted to be proactive in working to provide assistance for their physicians in a non-threatening manner. Further, they wanted to avoid creating an adversarial relationship with their physicians Consequently, they wanted a program that was mobile (on-site) and offered individual intervention in a discreet, confidential manner. They also wanted to protect their physicians from being labeled with some type of inappropriate psychiatric or substance abuse diagnosis. Finally, when a highly specialized surgeon, cardiologist or anesthesiologist is taken away from his or her practice to spend two or three days in Nashville, TN or San Diego, CA., the cost to the community, the health care organization and the physician is unrealistically high. Therefore, on-site intervention in their own city is far more reasonable for most physicians especially surgeons.
The Anderson & Anderson Coaching is provided on-site anywhere in the United States. In contrast to the continuing education courses offered by the Distressed Physician Program at Vanderbilt and the Pace Program at UCSD, the Anderson & Anderson, APC model uses Emotional Intelligence Skill enhancement as it’s core. All participants receive a Pre EQ-i-2.0 Emotional intelligence assessment prior to beginning the two-day 12 -hour intensive followed by individual coaching based on the assessment results. The second phase of the coaching is provided via phone on a bi-monthly basis for six-months. After the six-month program has been completed, a Post Assessment is administered to determine the success of the program. Therefore, the program is evidenced for each client. Aftercare can be arranged on an as needed basis.
In selecting a credible program for “disruptive physicians”, make sure that you are not the first client, check for a client list or references, ask if psychiatric or psychological examinations are required. Since the American Psychiatric Association maintains that anger is not an illness, psychological or psychiatric examinations should not be required.
