Leadership & Anesthesia Provider Culture
Culture is an important element for sustaining morale and preventing burnout in the anesthesia department. When it comes to anesthesia providers, their culture is set and defined by the personality, character qualities and attributes of department leaders. Therefore, understanding the drivers of anesthesia provider culture is an important foundational element of setting the tone of an anesthesia department. As a provider of anesthesia management services since 2004, we have learned firsthand the importance of leadership in anesthesia culture.
Elements of a Successful Anesthesia Culture
The best anesthesia cultures are those where every team member feels important and valued, successes are shared and everyone is invested in achieving goals. Additionally, a successful anesthesia culture must:
- Prioritize service and recognize patients, surgeons and perioperative staff members as their customers
- Promote a culture of “yes” rather than a culture of “no”
- Proactively seek out new, better ways to improve anesthesia care for patients and surgeons
- Always go the extra mile to meet customers’ needs and service expectations.
At CCI Anesthesia, the bar is set high for our anesthesia providers. We expect our anesthesiologists and CRNAs to adopt a customer service-oriented mindset and embody these pillars of a successful anesthesia culture.
Leadership Starts with the Individual
Leadership is normally viewed as a top-down function, where a department head or division chief is responsible for change efforts that result in improved quality, effectiveness and performance of an organization. Yet, where do these so-called change efforts begin? All leadership starts with the individual, whether directed from the top or empowered from within. For this reason, CCI Anesthesia providers must be leaders who are comfortable with responsibility and confident in taking action. CCI helps providers hone their leadership skills and provides them with the resources they need to promote a positive anesthesia culture.
A Practical Framework for Leadership Development
Leadership development is an important part of our work at CCI. A practical framework for leadership development involves:
- Self-awareness — being aware of one’s environment, personality and individuality
- Creativity — the ability and willingness to think outside the box and question the status quo
- Relationships — prioritizing positive relationships with colleagues and resolving daily to invest in them.
Our anesthesia providers understand this framework and are mindful of it as they drive anesthesia culture. Leadership development directly impacts turning perioperative service lines into well-oiled machines, which is why it is so important to us. We also offer interim OR director staffing to ensure seamless perioperative leadership transitions, if needed — further evidence of our deep commitment to leadership.
The CCI Institute for Excellence and Our Commitment to Mentorship
We are passionate about investing in our anesthesia providers and providing them with the resources they need to become strong leaders. Not only does the CCI Institute for Excellence provide unique opportunities to network with colleagues, but it also serves as an educational resource to our providers. Additionally, our providers are consistently mentored by our experienced Regional Medical Officers, Regional Clinical Officers and Chiefs of Anesthesia.
Finding the Right Anesthesia Culture for You
If you are tired of working in an anesthesia department with low morale and poor leadership, consider our job openings. As a member of the CCI Anesthesia team, you can expect:
- Clinical autonomy in your anesthesia practice
- Competitive, above-market compensation as an independent contractor
- Ample time away from practice
- Professional and timely administrative support
- Leadership and mentoring from our experienced Regional Medical Officers, Regional Clinical Officers and Chiefs of Anesthesia
- Advancement opportunities in hospital practice leadership.
View our job openings today for more information on joining CCI Anesthesia. We are actively recruiting anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists at hospitals and surgery centers across the country.