The Doctor Is In Business (as in UC s College of Business)

Six physicians and one business manager from the Academic Health Center have just completed the first “UC Physicians Executive Development Program.” The UC physicians all wear multiple hats of being in practice, research and teaching. Now add a student’s hat to that. The program, developed by the College of Business (CoB), was offered at the Raymond Walters College campus for the College of Medicine.

Two faculty members from CoB’s accounting department, Jens Stephan and Terry Campbell, developed and taught the 10-month course. The offerings gave an overview of typical MBA-type courses, including accounting, finance, strategy, marketing and quality. Stephan, an associate professor of accounting, says that the course helps the students participate in good business decisions. Participant Brett Kissella, MD, agrees.

“No one trains you on how to run your business as a doctor,” says Dr. Kissela. Doctors who ascend up the corporate ladder often do so because they’re good clinicians, not for their business acumen. Dr. Kissela says that the program allows them to run their offices better. “We’ve gained a rigor to apply to our decisions. We’ve learned enough to ask the right questions. With this class, you can apply a bigger background to making decisions — we can see a better way to do things now.”

One of the attendees was Marcia Miladinov, the business manager for the orthopedics department.

“We discussed already that we regret not sending our administrative person here,” says Dr. Kissela, noting the value of such a course.

On a recent pleasant Friday evening, an intimate graduation ceremony was held. Deans Will McIntosh and David Stern, MD, were present to hand out the certificates. J. Randolph Hillard, MD, associate dean of the College of Medicine, and Dan Gahl, assistant dean of the College of Medicine, also attended the ceremony.

“Looking around the room and seeing what you’ve been through, you’re to be congratulated on such an undertaking,” said McIntosh, dean of the College of Business.

“Everything we do involves business plans, and past, present and future values,” said Dr. Stern, dean of the College of Medicine. “We want to do more of this in the future, especially in the healthcare industry.”

Michael Privitera, MD — also a neurologist like Dr. Kissela — said the time spent was definitely worthwhile. “Terry and Jens as a teaching team are the best teachers I've ever had,” he added.

Receiving completion certificates are the following (in photo, from left to right):

• Brett Kissela, MD (neurology)
• Michael Privitera, MD (neurology)
• David Ficker, MD (neurology)
• Marcia Miladinov (business manager, orthopedics)
• Joseph Broderick, MD (chair, neurology)
• Michael Archdeacon, MD (orthopedics)
• William Hurford, MD (chair, anesthesiology) (not pictured)

For more information on the program, or to see if a similar program might be developed in your organization, contact Jens Stephan at the College of Business.