I had been in practice only three years when I stepped into the medical director role at the Saskatoon Community Clinic. Although it was one of those cases where “no one else wanted the job,” I had great aspirations for physician engagement and quality improvement.

 

However, less than two weeks after I assumed this new leadership position, my predecessor and mentor suddenly became seriously ill. I was left to fend for myself and quickly felt the isolation that a leadership role can bring. The Saskatoon Physician Breakfast Club began that same year and has been instrumental in overcoming my “lonely at the top” feeling and facilitating personal leadership development. Top

 

The Saskatoon Physician Breakfast Club is a journal club with a focus on building physician leadership capacity in health system improvement. The idea was spearheaded by Dr. Susan Shaw, division head of critical care, and Dr. Kishore Visvanathan, then division head of urology. Since its inception, the club has not only served to build greater physician leadership capability among its members, but it has also brought a diverse community of providers together, who routinely share ideas, solve problems and learn from each other’s experiences.

 

A broadly balanced representation of physicians involved in quality improvement and in leadership roles was recruited to the club. A group of eight with a range of ages, leadership experience and medical specialties emerged, promising a variety of perspectives to enrich discussions. Top

 

Dr. Jason Hosain, academic family medicine, Westwinds Health Centre, welcomed the chance to meet with individuals from different disciplines of medicine and break down the silos that plague our health care system.

 

Dr. Joanne Kappel, division head of nephrology, continues to be drawn by the supportive and collaborative nature of the group. Getting to know and trust others facing similar leadership challenges enables her to continue in her leadership role despite the trials. She particularly enjoys group discussions of real-life case studies. Top

 

Dr. Mark Wahba, emergency medicine, recognizes the irony that the people trying to make improvements are often viewed as “the enemy.” He was surprised by the fact that many people felt isolated from their colleagues by their quality improvement work. Sometimes feeling like Sisyphus pushing a boulder up the hill, he appreciated the support of colleagues in the group, “helping him push.”

 

The group meets regularly, every second month, over breakfast at a centrally located hotel from 6:30 to 7:45 am, before the rush and interruptions of a typical day begin. Dr. Visvanathan notes how physicians’ busy clinical work tends to restrict them to their own practice circles (i.e., surgeons in the operating room, general practitioners at their clinics). The group provides opportunities to interact with people from other circles and to provide mutual support for medical leaders. Sharing conversation over a meal also contributes to the relaxed and cordial environment. Top

 

Dr. Shabir Mia, otolaryngology, appreciates the fact that leadership responsibility at the breakfast club rotates. The lead is responsible for selecting an article, posing reflective questions to the group, sharing a personal leadership challenge, facilitating the conversation and picking up the breakfast tab. One or two articles serve as a platform for discussing local and vexing leadership issues of the day, which is conducive to collective troubleshooting and problem-solving. The journal articles selected are relevant to physician leadership and health system quality improvement.

 

Every meeting “wrap up” includes a discussion of what went well and what to improve for the next meeting. Ongoing methods of evaluation include tracking attendance and periodically surveying members. Debra-Jane Wright, Provincial Kaizen Promotion Office director, a critical non-physician member of the club, provides unique quality improvement experience and administrative support to the group. Debra-Jane’s efforts to coordinate meetings, disseminate journal articles and summarize key discussion points have been essential to the maintenance and sustainability of the club.  Top

 

Remaining true to its original goals, the Saskatoon Physician Breakfast Club continues to:

 

• Create opportunities to collaborate and troubleshoot  real issues or challenges that current members face
• Build knowledge of current leadership thinking and best practices by reviewing and discussing relevant journal articles
• Establish meaningful relationships to support members throughout their leadership journey

 

For a Physician Breakfast Club “Getting Started Kit,” contact Debra-Jane Wright at dwright@hqc.sk.ca or download a copy from the CSPE web site - http://www.cspexecs.com/resources/BreakfastClub-StarterKit.pdf.

 

For additional information, feel free to contact any of the club’s current members:

Dr. Leane Bettin

(lbettin@communityclinic.sk.ca)

Dr. Jason Hosain

(jason.hosain@usask.ca)

Dr. Joanne Kappel

(jekappel@sasktel.net)

Dr. Shabir Mia

(shabirmia@hotmail.com)

Dr. Susan Shaw (susan.shaw@saskatoonhealthregion.ca)

Dr. Kishore Visvanathan (dr.k.visvanathan@sasktel.net)

Dr. Mark Wahba

(drmarkwahba@mac.com)

Debra-Jane Wright

(dwright@hqc.sk.ca)

 

Author

 

Dr. Leane Bettin, MD, CCFP,  Medical Director. Saskatoon Community Clinic

 

Correspondence to:

lbettin@communityclinic.sk.ca

 

This article has been reviewed by a panel of physician leaders

 

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