Name
The Physician Champion: Why They Matter and How Medical Leaders Grow in Integrated Care
Description

Physician champions are often the catalyst for successful integrated care, shaping clinical culture, strengthening team collaboration, and accelerating adoption across healthcare settings. Yet many clinicians who step into these leadership roles describe the journey as uncertain, isolating, and without a clear roadmap for growth. In this interactive session, physician leaders at different stages of their journeys share candid stories, lessons learned, and insights grounded in the evolving integrated care evidence base. Together with the audience, we will explore what distinguishes physician champions, how leadership develops over time, and how interdisciplinary teams can effectively partner with physician leaders. Attendees will leave inspired and equipped with practical strategies to cultivate physician leadership and strengthen collaboration across integrated care teams.

Speakers
Laura Sidari, MD
Brooke Steadman, DO
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Medical, Mentorship, Workforce development
Session Type
Concurrent
Objective 1
Describe the unique role physician leaders and medical clinician champions play in advancing integrated care implementation, culture change, and sustainability across healthcare settings.
Objective 2
Identify common characteristics, challenges, and developmental pathways of physician champions across specialties, practice environments, and integrated care models.
Objective 3
Explore practical strategies and professional communities that support physicians in growing their leadership identity and influence within integrated care teams.
Content Reference 1

Maeng, Daniel D., et al. "Primary care behavioral health integration and care utilization: implications for patient outcome and healthcare resource use." Journal of General Internal Medicine 37.11 (2022): 2691-2697.

Content Reference 2

Reist, Christopher, et al. "Collaborative mental health care: A narrative review." Medicine 101.52 (2022): e32554

Content Reference 3

Goldman, Matthew L., et al. "Implementation of behavioral health integration in small primary care settings: lessons learned and future directions." Community Mental Health Journal 58.1 (2022): 136-144.

Content Reference 4

(Rotenstein, Lisa S., Samuel T. Edwards, and Bruce E. Landon. "Adult primary care physician visits increasingly address mental health concerns: study examines primary care physician visits for mental health concerns." Health Affairs 42.2 (2023): 163-171.

Content Reference 5

Whitebird, Robin R., et al. "Effective implementation of collaborative care for depression: what is needed?." The American journal of managed care 20.9 (2014): 699.