As residents train to become the practicing physicians of tomorrow, academic medical centers (AMC) are evaluating their futures as well, seeking to understand how to leverage their size, unique services and market prominence. A recent study from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) revealed key determinants in the successful AMC of the future.
The AAMC study sought to develop a framework for clinical leadership that would guide AMCs to a sustainable future, keeping research and teaching as their core missions. An advisory panel interviewed 13 institutions, chosen for their reputations as thought leaders.
According to the study, the AMC of the future will be system-based and require strong and aligned governance, organization and management systems. As academic health systems grow and change, university relationships likely will be challenged, and this growth will require enhanced profiles for department chairs, new roles for physician leaders and evolution of practice structure.
The study found that transparency—in quality, performance and financial involvement, at all levels—is central to high achievement. Expect radically restructured operating models for cost and quality performance to support competitive viability and long-term sustainability, the study said. Interviews with the 13 institutions also showed that the sustainable AMC of the future will be a leader in population health.
Future AMCs will be well-equipped to keep up with the changing health care system if they adhere to these principles, the study notes. Similarly, the AMA’s work in its Accelerating Change in Medical Education initiative will prepare future residents and physicians to deliver high-quality, comprehensive care first in these AMCs and then in their own practices.
The 11 schools that make up the AMA’s consortium for this initiative are developing and promoting methods to achieve patient safety, performance improvement and physician-led, team-based care, focusing on population health, competency-based assessment, systems-based practice, organizational change and technology.
