physician-organization compacts

Jack Silversin and Mary Jane Kornacki sum up compact as a construct from business literature and their application of it to helping healthcare organizations and physicians align expectations.

The process of developing an explicit compact is facilitated when the following conditions are in place:

• Sufficient trust between doctors and administrators to be able to have candid conversations
• Education for doctors about market and economic changes that are driving the need to change the way health care is delivered
• Wide and deep ownership of a shared vision – a picture of where the organization is heading – that resonates with all
• A guiding coalition or committee that can champion a compact change process with the physician body
• Sufficient patience to allow a process that touches every doctor – NOT a “roll out” from senior leaders
• Ample time for doctors and administrators to engage in dialogue about what behaviors are needed
• Will from the top to hold both administrators and physicians  accountable for living the compact commitments once a document is created that is broadly supported
• Top leaders demonstrate they are NOT exempt but are standard-bearers  for new behaviors and open themselves to feedback about how their behaviors are or are not consistent with the new compact