The Genesis of a Vision
The SHM Leadership Academy may be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, but the origin story began much earlier. The narrative is not just one of organizational growth, but of foresight and determination to meet the evolving needs of hospitalists. The initial idea for the Academy began as a simple yet bold vision: to offer hospitalists a dedicated space for developing leadership skills, applying those skills in astonishingly complex work settings, and building a professional network that would sustain them long after a training program ended.
A Bold Idea Takes Shape
In 2002, SHM committed to becoming the definitive organization for developing physician leaders within hospitals. As the nascent field of hospital medicine was rapidly growing, SHM recognized a vital gap: while hospitalists were increasingly seen as key contributors to quality inpatient care, there was little in the way of specialized leadership training that addressed the unique challenges they faced in their roles.
This idea was conceived during a pivotal meeting at a National Association of Inpatient Physicians (NAIP) strategic retreat in September 2002. During this retreat, leadership development was identified as a top educational priority for SHM. What followed was a rapid response: a Leadership Task Force was assembled, drawing on the expertise of hospitalists, educators, and organizational development specialists. Their goal was to design a curriculum that blended leadership theory with practical, real-world application. A national needs assessment conducted in collaboration with hospital executives confirmed the demand for this type of program, and at the 2003 SHM annual meeting in San Diego, a standing-room-only crowd of about 200 hospitalists expressed their eagerness for advanced leadership training.
While Mark Williams, MD, MHM, and I served as co-leaders of the Task Force, the most pivotal role in transforming this vision into reality belongs to Tina Budnitz, MPH, SHM’s chief strategy officer. Her expertise in educational program design, adult learning principles, team facilitation, and organizational management helped shape the Academy into what it would become. In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Tina was awarded SHM’s highest honor, Master in Hospital Medicine, in 2015.
The Task Force spent the balance of 2003 developing a one-day leadership pre-course, which was held at the 2004 SHM annual meeting in New Orleans. The event was enthusiastically well-received and exceeded all attendance expectations—more than 200 participants showed up, far outpacing the planned room capacity. If ever there were a situation where demand overwhelmed supply, this was it.
The team immediately got back to work, creating a deeper, expanded, more immersive experience. The four-day SHM Leadership Academy was officially launched in January 2005 in Tucson, Ariz., where it quickly sold out months in advance. Notably, five of the 10 table facilitators at that inaugural event would go on to serve as SHM presidents, a testament to the program’s leadership pedigree.
The Core Differentiators
The SHM Leadership Academy distinguished itself from other leadership development conferences in three important ways. First, it focused entirely on leadership topics and exercises designed specifically for those working in the acute care setting. Other leadership programs offer broad, one-size-fits-all solutions; the SHM Leadership Academy was designed with a precise focus on the distinct leadership challenges hospitalists face.
Second, a significant portion of the faculty were practicing hospitalists—physicians actively working in hospitals, bringing real-world experience to the program. This practical expertise was instrumental in making the material and learning experiences both relevant and immediately applicable.
Third, the Academy employed trained facilitators who supported the small group learning environment. These facilitators were crucial in ensuring that each participant’s experience was maximized by fostering productive discussions, coordinating table exercises, and ensuring that every voice was heard. This collaborative, peer-driven model enhanced the learning process and helped create a dynamic, engaging environment for all attendees.
Curriculum Development: Building the Foundation
The curriculum for the SHM Leadership Academy evolved through a collaborative process that drew heavily on the feedback of hospitalists and healthcare leaders. Critical questions emerged during the development phase: What leadership competencies are most vital for hospitalists? How can these competencies be taught in a way that is immediately actionable? What role does mentorship play in leadership development?
The answers to these questions helped form the pillars of the Academy’s foundational curriculum, which included:
- Self-awareness and Emotional Intelligence: The Academy emphasized the importance of self-reflection, resilience, and the cultivation of emotional intelligence—key traits for effective leadership.
- Communication and Influence: Participants honed their advanced communication strategies, negotiation skills, and learned how to foster consensus within multidisciplinary teams.
- Change Management: With hospitals constantly evolving, the curriculum included strategies for leading through change, creating a shared vision, and strengthening organizational culture.
- Team Dynamics and Conflict Resolution: Hospital work is inherently relational, so the Academy included sessions on conflict resolution, team building, and mastering difficult conversations.
- Strategic Planning and Systems Thinking: Hospital leaders need to understand the larger healthcare landscape, so the curriculum focused on strategic planning, understanding key hospital drivers, and systems-based approaches to care delivery.
For 20 years, the Leadership Academy has incorporated these elements into a dynamic, four-day immersive event. A combination of didactic sessions, table exercises, and small group discussions ensured that the experience was both rigorous and relational, with the goal of fostering both personal and professional growth. One of the most valuable aspects of the early Academy experience was the dynamic networking before sessions, during breaks, and after hours.
Early Successes Create Ripple Effects
Early success was evident not only in enrollment numbers but also in the stories shared by Academy alumni. Many credited the program with helping them develop the confidence and skills needed to take on formal leadership roles. Some launched quality improvement initiatives, others led hospitalist teams, and many took on key leadership roles within their institutions. One participant commented, “Even with 18 years of clinical/administrative experience as well as an MBA, this course was a learning experience, and I gained and reinforced critical areas of thinking and actions.”
The impact also extended to individual hospitals. Alumni returned to their organizations armed with new skills and actionable strategies for quality improvement, patient safety, and team engagement. These leaders sparked a ripple effect, implementing new protocols, launching pilot projects, and sharing their knowledge with colleagues. One year after attending the Leadership Academy in 2006, one participant returned to give me a copy of a comprehensive hospitalist manual he developed to implement across his health system.
Adapting and Evolving
The SHM Leadership Academy’s team remained committed to continuous improvement. We repeatedly urged feedback from participants, saying, “If ever there were a conference where organizers read every word of every evaluation and seriously considered incorporating the input, this is it.” It was another intentional way we updated the curriculum to reflect the changing needs of hospitalists and evolving healthcare trends.
The Academy also expanded its reach. Two additional Academies, Influential Management and Mastering Teamwork, were created to provide greater breadth and depth of topics, appealing even more to our constituency. Periodic virtual learning opportunities have been offered to accommodate a geographically diverse audience. The Leadership Academy now sponsors an exclusive Capstone program involving completion of multiple academies, months of remote training sessions, executive coaching, and completion of a high-impact project, enabling participants to receive the Certificate of Leadership in Hospital Medicine. These innovations have ensured that the SHM Leadership Academy remains the definitive resource for hospitalist leadership development.
Legacy and Looking Forward
Today, the SHM Leadership Academy stands as a testament to the power of vision, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence. It reflects a forward-thinking approach to healthcare leadership that is as relevant today as it was when it was first conceived. The Academy continues to serve as a transformative force, preparing hospitalists to meet the growing complexities of the healthcare environment with confidence and skill.
Looking to the future, the SHM Leadership Academy will undoubtedly continue to shape the profession. By nurturing leaders to become emotionally intelligent, strategic, and visionary, the Academy ensures that hospital medicine will continue to thrive—and that its participants will be equipped to meet the crises, changes, and challenges of tomorrow.
As we reflect on its origins, development, and early triumphs, we see not just the story of an educational program, but the unfolding of a movement—one that continues to inspire, empower, and shape the leaders of tomorrow, now and for generations to come.
Dr. Holman
Dr. Holman is a past president of SHM, a Master in Hospital Medicine, and the founding course director of the Leadership Academies. He continues to serve as faculty today.