Leading in a Changing Healthcare Environment
AOA’s Advocacy for Healthy Partnerships Conference Covered Array of Leadership Topics

By Andrew P. Peck for massosteopathic.org

 
Leaders in today’s healthcare environment have to be ready for rapid change on numerous fronts. With those challenges in mind, leaders in the Osteopathic profession assembled in Tampa during January for the AOA’s Advocacy for Healthy Partnerships conference. The MOS was represented at the gathering by Board Member, Mark Zhang, DO.

Designed for physicians in the osteopathic profession, the AHP Conference featured a series of training sessions covering a diverse range of knowledge and skills to aid leaders in the field of Osteopathic Medicine. Attendees received expert advice on successfully advocating for patients and engaged in discussion on topics such as grassroots advocacy, emerging issues in health policies, and technological innovation.

The event included a discussion on resilient leadership with Lt. General Russel L. Honoré (US Army – Ret.) commander of Joint Task Force Katrina responsible for coordinating military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas. The leaders in attendance also heard from Mark Kelly, retired American astronaut, engineer and U.S. Navy Captain. Kelly told the group to think independently and question conventional wisdom. “None of us is as dumb as all of us,” Kelly said.

Dr. Zhang said the program contained timely and cutting-edge topics that were to his benefit as a leader.

I think it’s been a nice eclectic mix of speakers,” Dr. Zhang said. “I thought that the luncheon with Mark Kelly was really great. I think one overarching theme of the conference is about being adaptable and facing challenges head on.”

Dr. Zhang said he was interested in the discussion on access to affordable health care and would spend more time considering the issue upon his return.

“I think of course what’s going to happen with the Affordable Care Act is going to be big for everyone here both clinicians and non-clinicians alike. Getting well-versed in that is going to be really key to having a voice. ”