The GIP Strategic Planning and Management Subcommittee is focused on efforts that include communicating best practices, hosting and planning webinars, and serving as a general resource to the strategic planning community. Over the past months, members of the subcommittee have been taking turns facilitating hot topic discussions on the monthly subcommittee calls on topics such as: developing your strategic plan, linking budget and planning, and communicating your plan. Summaries and PowerPoint slides from some of these calls are available below for your review. Please contact gip@aamc.org for more information on this subcommittee.
Integrating Climate Action & Sustainability in Strategic Planning - July 2024
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2022 called climate change a “code red” for humanity. The WHO called climate change the “single biggest health threat facing humanity.” Climate change has direct impacts for academic medicine. Climate change impacts health. We’re in the business of health. Therefore, we’re in the business of climate change.
Academic health systems and medical schools need to reduce carbon pollution, strengthen their facilities, prioritize climate change in strategic plans, and integrate actions across the clinical and academic enterprises. On the July subcommittee call, William T. Mallon, EdD, Senior Director for Strategy and Innovation at the AAMC discussed how the academic medicine is responding to climate change and how the AAMC is supporting those efforts.
Interested in learning more and joining the movement in climate action in academic medicine? The AAMC’s Climate Action & Sustainability in Academic Medicine Virtual Community is open to all.
Presenter
William T. Mallon, EdD
Senior Director, Strategy & Innovation
Association of American Medical Colleges
Moderator
Thomas Svolos, MD
Associate Dean for Strategy & Accreditation
Professor of Psychiatry
Creighton University School of Medicine
Materials
Presentation slides (PDF)
View Recording
Strategic Plan Implementation & Stakeholder Engagement - June 2024
On the June subcommittee call, Janice Renfro (Strategic Planning Manager, BJC Healthcare) and Tina Caruso (Executive Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology) presented on Strategic Plan Implementation & Stakeholder Engagement. In mid-2020, new leadership for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis was recruited. Faced with uncertainty, opportunities, and challenges, the department began work on developing a strategic plan that not only involved the department, but also the faculty practice plan, the school, and their primary teaching hospital partners and health system. During this session, an overview of the planning process was presented, as well as lessons learned and examples of how the plan was successfully applied to drive growth and culture change. Speakers provided insight into the cultural, political, and economic issues associated with planning across multiple departments and independent organizations.
Presenters
Tina Caruso
Executive Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Janice Renfro, MBA
Strategic Planning Manager
BJC Healthcare
Material
Presentation slides (PDF)
Staff Participation in Strategic Planning and Management - February 2024
On the February call, Stefanie Carter from the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU MD) and Katie Maietta from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine facilitated a conversation on staff participation in strategic planning and management. Like many organizations, medical schools have faced difficulties in the recruitment and retention of valuable staff all while trying to adapt to changing trends and finding new ways to always improve. It is imperative that we find ways in which to help staff feel valued, provide development opportunities for their current roles and future, and include their unique perspectives to drive our mission. Each presenter spent time discussing ways in which they involved staff in strategic planning, operational management and continuous quality improvement, and decision-making opportunities. They also spent time discussing challenges face when creating and maintaining new initiatives as well as opportunities at both the local and national level for staff to become stakeholders. As NSU MD is a new school and the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine is a well-established school, the presenters were able to share their experiences from these perspectives.
Presenters
Stefanie Carter, EdD
Interim Assistant Dean, Faculty Affairs
Director, Faculty Development
Assistant Professor, Medical Education
Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine (NSU MD)
Katie Maietta, MPPM
Director, Office of Medical Education
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Material
Presentation slides (PDF)
How to Keep a Strategic Plan Moving - January 2024
Drafting and implementing a strategic plan takes significant effort, but what happens once it’s in progress? Keeping the strategic plan moving forward also takes considerable time and participation from a variety of stakeholders and champions. On the January subcommittee call, Erin Shirey, MPA from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, shared best tips and lessons learned from her experience as the Director of Planning, Strategy, and Partnerships. Identifying strategic plan “champions,” meeting regularly with institutional leadership, and creating attainable deadlines are crucial to the success of the strategic plan. One of the greatest tools used to keep a strategic plan moving is to develop a dashboard that contains high-level and easy to understand information. A few tips from the presentation included knowing your school and leadership nuances and preferences, being a leader of the plan but also leaving room for pivoting if things go wrong and learning how best to communicate the plan to different audiences.
Presenter
Erin Shirey, MPA
Director of Planning, Strategy, and Partnerships
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Material
Moderated Discussion: Negotiating the Challenges of Aligned Academic and Clinical Strategic Planning - October 2023
During October’s subcommittee call, Thomas Svolos, MD, Associate Dean for Strategy and Accreditation at Creighton University School of Medicine, led a moderated discussion on the challenges of aligning the academic and the clinical strategic planning process. Depending on the institutional structure, some medical schools are deeply connected to the clinical enterprise of a medical group, health system, or multiple health systems, whereas other medical schools are not as intertwined with some being standalone entities. To develop synergy, medical schools and their clinical counterparts are working together to create strategic plans that align with the overall mission and vision of the system. This collaboration can streamline efficiency, strengthen understanding of various goals, and ensure that funding is allocated correctly.
Presenter
Thomas Svolos, MD
Associate Dean for Strategy & Accreditation
Professor of Psychiatry
Creighton University School of Medicine
Strategic Planning 101 & Templates - July 2023
On the July subcommittee call, Gerona McGrath presented and facilitated a hot topic discussion on the basics of building a strategic plan specific to the organization. A good place to begin the strategic planning process is to assess the performance of the organization by conducting a SWOT analysis or by establishing an overall strategy for the fiscal year ahead. Focusing on organizational health plus operating performance also help frame the beginning of the strategic plan. Identifying the organization’s current state is significantly important to spend time discussing – is the organization in the desired state where everything is going well? Is the organization complacent, troubled, or in crisis? Additionally, many schools and health systems spend time discussing and finalizing the mission statement and list of core values, both of which tie into the strategic plan.
Presenter
Gerona McGrath, MBA, MEd
Education Specialist & Project Manager
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Moderated Discussion: Strategic Planning Software - Pros and Cons of Various Platforms - June 2023
During the June subcommittee call, Dr. Thomas Svolos led a moderated discussion around the pros and cons of various strategic planning software platforms. Some health systems and schools of medicine use multiple data collection platforms that do not talk to one another. Some institutions have built silos with various departments gathering and storing data in disparate ways. Consolidation of data across the board, determining who “owns” the data, and gradually changing the data culture are all important aspects of becoming more efficient and streamlined, which ultimately helps the strategic planning process run smoother. Many schools and health systems have turned to Achieve It, Tableau, Power BI, Smart Sheets, and other platforms to not only store data but to have a central location for strategic planning and project management. Users want the platforms to be flexible and have the ability to display pertinent data via dashboards. While the various software discussed have pros and cons, many members of the subcommittee have found positive outcomes with their chosen platform.
Presenter
Thomas Svolos, MD
Associate Dean for Strategy & Accreditation
Professor of Psychiatry
Creighton University School of Medicine
Inclusion of Different Voices in the Planning Process - January 2023
On the January call, Gerona McGrath, MBA, MEd, from Memorial University in Newfoundland discussed the inclusion of different voices in the strategic planning process. In her role, Gerona serves as the project manager for the development of the institution’s strategic plan as well as the implementation. As Gerona discussed, strategic planning presents its own set of unique challenges and opportunities, specifically around who is included in the process. Ensuring staff and faculty have a seat at the table improves communication and relationships. Consulting staff and faculty for their input on the plan and creating work groups was essential in the development stage. Moving into the implementation stage, project teams were organized and co-chaired by faculty and staff. By leveraging experience from different voices, staff and faculty felt more engaged and equal in the planning process.
Presenter
Gerona McGrath, MBA, MEd
Education Specialist & Project Manager
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Material
Best Practices for Developing and Implementing a Strategic Plan - November 2022
On the November call, Janice Renfro, MBA from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis led a hot topic presentation and discussion on best practices for developing and implementing a strategic plan. At Janice’s institution, the focus has been on clinical joint strategic planning with its teaching hospitals, an undertaking that includes multiple institutions and leaders. Prior to joint clinical strategic planning, there was independent decision making and a siloed approach to strategic planning causing a lack of cohesion. There became an increasing need for structure, accountability, and communication. With the joint planning structure, there is an oversight committee, steering committee, and workgroups that review data, identify issues and develop plans and goals. Setting clear expectations, accountability and achieving buy-in from stakeholders has made the strategic planning development and implementation stronger and more efficient.
Presenter
Janice Renfro, MBA
Strategic Planning Manager
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Strategic Plan Tracking & Performance - September 2022
On the September call, Cassie Eno, PhD from Creighton University School of Medicine and Jacki Reyes Hull, EdD from University of South Florida Health discussed approaches to tracking and measuring goals and outcomes within an institution’s strategic plan. In addition, they discussed mechanisms for disseminating various details of the strategic plan into simpler charts and data for key stakeholders to remain up to date on the plan’s progress and status. After an overview of each school’s strategic plan tracking mechanisms, the presenters facilitated an engaging conversation around what happens once the strategic plan is completed, how to follow-up and hold colleagues accountable for their part of the plan, and how funding gets requested and included in the process. Establishing clarity around roles and responsibilities early on in the strategic planning process, as well as constant communication with colleagues leads to better outcomes overall.
Presenters
Cassie Eno, PhD
Senior Director of Program Assessment & Curriculum Development
Creighton University School of Medicine
Jacki Reyes Hull, EdD
Assistant Vice President for Administration
University of South Florida Health
Material
Intersection of Strategy and the Physical Environment - August 2022
On the August call, Kim Case-Nichols, MBA, from the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas facilitated a robust discussion on the intersection of strategic planning and space planning. The school of medicine was established in 2017 and has gone through several iterations of its strategic plan, as well as leadership and culture changes. The establishment of the school has helped meet the demand for patient care within the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Currently, they are in the process of moving the school of medicine into a new building, which has allowed the team to learn more about programming and student needs. This process has also eliminated the strategic planning and space planning silos, as it is crucial to work on these simultaneously and collaboratively. As the school looks to expand and strengthen its facilities, infrastructure, and student enrollment, strategic planning and space planning will have to remain linked.
Presenter
Kim Case-Nichols, MBA
Chief of Staff
Business Affairs
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Material
Internationalization of Medical Schools - July 2022
On the July call, Gerona McGrath, MBA, MEd, from Memorial University in Newfoundland discussed the internationalization of medical schools. She detailed Memorial University’s approach in developing an internationalization framework and defining the scope, purpose, and areas of focus within the plan. The concept of internationalization meant increasing programs with a global health focus in underserved areas of the world, broadening the students’ reach around the world, and international elective courses. After defining the concepts and ideas of internationalization, a project team was put in place to remove any silos or barriers, which allowed for collaboration between faculty, staff, and learners. This work was driven by a foundation of ethical and social accountability namely equity and inclusion, reciprocity, authenticity, sustainability, and humility.
Presenter
Gerona McGrath, MBA, MEd
Education Specialist & Project Manager
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Material
Organizational Structure of Dean's Office & Impact on Strategic Planning - June 2022
On the June call, Carolyn Brayko, PhD, from University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) and Thomas Svolos, MD, from Creighton University School of Medicine, led a discussion examining the organizational structure of the dean’s office and its impact on the ability for a school to execute a strategic plan. While many schools handle the strategic planning process in different ways, there were common trends and themes that emerged from the robust discussion. From strong support from the dean to identifying the best teams to lead strategic initiatives, partnerships and relationship building remain at the core of each institution’s ability to execute a streamlined and straightforward plan. Members of the subcommittee shared their own experiences and best practices when it comes to the strategic plan’s home within the organization, how the accreditation process intersects with it, and how to align planning across the academic and clinical enterprises.
Presenters
Carolyn Brayko, PhD
Director, Institutional Effectiveness
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med)
Thomas Svolos, MD
Associate Dean for Strategy & Accreditation
Creighton University School of Medicine
LCME Expectations for Strategic Planning - March 2022
On the March call, Thomas Svolos, MD from Creighton University School of Medicine, facilitated a conversation on strategic planning and continuous quality improvement as part of the larger LCME accreditation process. The LCME wants medical schools to continually assess their standards for accreditation and schools need professional staff with data analytics experience to work on the strategic planning process. For continuous quality improvement, it is important to review operational processes within the school to ensure the right policies are in place and are leading to positive outcomes. Dr. Svolos shared their strategic plan executive summary, which includes outcome metrics as well as tracking on budget and resources. He also shared their CQI dashboard containing findings from prior years and action plans and recommendations for future years.
Presenter
Thomas Svolos, MD
Associate Dean for Strategy & Accreditation
Creighton University School of Medicine
Structure of Accountability - February 2022
On the February call, Erin Shirey, MPA, from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine facilitated a conversation around accountability when creating and implementing a strategic plan. Erin outlined her institution’s process for creating an updated strategic plan by reinventing the process through buy-in from leadership throughout the school and emphasizing transparent communication. By identifying goals most important to the institution, establishing teams within the goals, and increasing reporting frequency, the structure of accountability will ultimately be strengthened. The conversation was robust with subcommittee members asking questions around funding, metrics and tracking, and variations of strategic plan reports.
Presenter
Erin Shirey, MPA
Senior Planning Analyst
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Material
Strategy & Human Resources - November 2021
On the November call, Carolyn Brayko, PhD, from UNR Med, facilitated a conversation on how the role of strategic planners interface with human resource professionals. Subcommittee members shared how they engage with HR at their respective institutions, specifically around recruitment, retention, and implementation of strategic plans. Many reported HR and planning working in silos and challenges in strategy implementation when there's a disconnect with institutional HR practices. Ultimately, how these two groups work together impacts institutional culture as well as the outcomes of strategic plans.
Presenter
Carolyn Brayko, PhD
Director, Institutional Effectiveness
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med)
Match Rate Improvement Using Root Cause Analysis - September 2021
There are many tools in the continuous quality improvement (CQI) toolbox medical schools can utilize for monitoring and improvement. In her presentation, “Match Rate Improvement Using Root Cause Analysis,” Teresa Isbell from Texas A&M University College of Medicine outlined her institution’s process for improving medical student match rate using root cause analysis coupled with the Five Whys methodology. Dr. Isbell also shared their CQI action plan template for match rate improvement and how the plan was linked to the medical school strategic plan and the LCME accreditation standards.
Presenter
Teresa Isbell, PhD
Assistant Dean for Continuous Quality Improvement
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education
Texas A&M University College of Medicine
Material
Implementing & Operationalizing Your Strategic Plan - August 2021
Although estimates vary, it has been said that up to 70% of strategic plans fail. Typically institutions put considerable effort into developing strategic plans but then the plans often sit on a shelf, never to be implemented. In her presentation “The Implementation of Destination Excellence,” Gerona McGrath from Memorial University outlined her institution’s approach of using project management methodology to successfully implement their strategic plan, discussed what had been going well, and highlighted some areas for improvement and lessons learned.
Presenter
Gerona McGrath, MBA, MEd
Education Specialist & Project Manager
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Material
Return to Office/Campus - July 2021
Presenter
Diane Uzarski, DNP, MPH, RN
Chief of Staff, Office of the Dean
Duke University School of Nursing
Material
Hybrid Workforce - lessons learned, what works? - June 2021
This roundtable discussion focused on shared plans and experiences navigating the transition into a post-pandemic work environment by looking broadly at scenarios with all employees back onsite, some mixture of onsite and remote work, and situations where some may work only remotely.
Presenters
Gerona McGrath, MBA, MEd
Education Specialist & Project Manager
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Elaine Van der Put, PhD, MS, MSPH
Senior Associate Dean for Administration
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University
Material
Intersection of Strategic Planning & Institutional Culture - March 2021
An old adage in the business sector that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” is equally true among U.S. medical schools. Institutions must intentionally align culture and strategy in order to ensure that behaviors that lead to decisions and actions are nurtured and will lead to successful strategy execution. A few essentials to help weave culture and strategic planning at medical schools include ensuring a supportive organizational structure - one that values both culture and strategic planning, embedding culture initiatives or actions in the strategic plan, and operationalizing the institution’s values. The institution’s senior strategic planning role is a key support of the synergy between culture and planning and must be engaged sufficiently in both to ensure an ongoing healthy balance through strategy execution.
Presenters
David Hefner, EdD
Vice President, Office of Strategy & Institutional Effectiveness
Morehouse School of Medicine
Leslie Johnson, MBA
Director, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of the Dean
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
Material
Organizational Structure Around Strategy & Staffing - February 2021 & January 2022
Strategy and/or strategic planning offices in higher education have slowly emerged over the last decade or so, including those in U.S. medical schools. Where these offices are structurally housed, who leads them, and what their scope of work entails varies from institution to institution. However, the answers to these questions and others may impact how effective these offices and leaders can be in helping achieve the strategic priorities of the institution. The GIP Strategic Planning and Management Subcommittee explored this issue by asking each member to share the organizational structures and functions of their offices. The exercise illustrated just how varying these offices are structured and function across AAMC member institutions.
Presenter
David Hefner, EdD
Vice President, Office of Strategy & Institutional Effectiveness
Morehouse School of Medicine
Material
Human Centered Design - December 2020
Presenter
Nick Viator, MA
Strategic Planner
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Material
The Role of Assessment in Strategic Planning - July 2020
Assessment is often the first step in the strategic planning process, but it never stops. At the beginning of the process, planners explore internal and external forces, trends, opportunities, and threats. This provides context to the strategy and establishes a way to monitor the efficacy and relevance of the plan later during implementation. Assessment does not come without challenges. Selecting and prioritizing relevant metrics can be difficult. Often, the amount of data generated by such assessments can lead to analysis paralysis, when the group resists making a decision without reviewing all data from all angles. To avoid being overwhelmed, planners must focus on the data necessary to achieve the desired outcomes of the strategic plan recognizing that not everything has to be evaluated every year. Ultimately, assessments enable the outcomes of strategic plans to be data-driven, and data-driven strategy leads to the fastest, most efficient path to success (Jones, 2019).
Presenters
Carolyn Brayko, PhD
Director, Organizational Development & Strategic Planning
Office of the Dean
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Leslie Johnson, MBA
Director, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of the Dean
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
Material
Reference
Jones, SC. Data-driven strategic planning moves missions farther faster. https://measurementresourcesco.com/2019/05/26/data-driven-strategic-planning-moves-missions/. Accessed November 13, 2020.
Campus Labs - June 2020
Presenter
Leslie Johnson, MBA
Director, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of the Dean
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine