Communication Strategies for Healthcare Leaders

Leading with Impact

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Course Dates

STARTS ON

May 21, 2024

Course Duration

DURATION

6 weeks, online
3-5 hours per week

Course Fee

PROGRAM FEE

US$2,495 US$2,295 and get US$250 off with a referral

Course Information Flexible payment available
Course Information Special group enrollment pricing

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program fee

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Effective Healthcare Communication for Optimal Patient Care

The fast-paced, high-stress environment presents unique healthcare communication challenges for leaders. Communication breakdowns can occur at any stage of the care process, often due to frequent interruptions or misunderstandings between healthcare staff and patients and their families. The consequences of inadequate communication can be dire, even contributing to in-hospital deaths, fragmented care, operational inefficiencies and subpar staff performance. Effective communication across all stages can lead to better care planning and improved patient care.

The six-week Communication Strategies for Healthcare Leaders course offers a valuable opportunity to build core leadership capabilities beyond business acumen. The immersive learning journey emphasizes rational and emotional competencies as well as collaboration and conflict resolution, enabling you to gain a competitive edge in leadership roles. Through innovative frameworks, real-world case studies, insights from industry experts, and peer discussions, you will hone your communication to drive a positive impact and establish an influential executive presence for improved patient outcomes.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is ideal for you, if you are a:

  • New or aspiring clinical leader looking to supplement healthcare knowledge with hands-on communication strategies to lead and influence high-performing teams, and effectively improve the quality of patient care
  • New or aspiring non-clinical leader looking to develop strong communication skills to implement strategic vision, be more persuasive, and impactfully influence decision-making that affects patient care
  • C-suite executive or healthcare leader looking to build on your business acumen with communication strategies to drive cross-functional collaboration, resolve conflicts, and enable change
  • Mid-level clinical manager looking to grow your influence within teams and communicate confidently with senior leaders to deliver better outcomes and advance your career

The learning journey will benefit you the most, if you are a:

  • CEO in Healthcare
  • COO in Healthcare
  • CMO in Healthcare
  • CNO in Healthcare
  • Chief Psychologist
  • Chief Resident Officer
  • Chief Compliance Officer
  • Chief Psychiatrist
  • Chief Hospitalist
  • Chief Medical Information Officer
  • Physician
  • Nurse Executive
  • Nurse Supervisor
  • Nurse Manager
  • Laboratory Manager
  • Clinical Coordinator
  • Physical Therapist
  • Physician Assistant
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Medical Assistant
  • Pharmacist

What You Will Learn in the Course

The course will help you:

  • Explore how your unique personality traits and presence can influence teams, patient interactions, and your overall career trajectory.
  • Identify healthcare communication strategies for winning hearts and minds within clinical teams or healthcare settings.
  • Recognize the dynamics at play during complex interactions.
  • Interpret conflict dynamics to improve leadership strategies in healthcare for the betterment of patient outcomes.
  • Adapt your leadership style to motivate your teams toward achieving shared goals.
Profile picture of faculty Roderick W. Gilkey, PhD

Hear from the Faculty

“The healthcare culture is driven by a mindset that deeply values growth, knowledge, and action to enhance patient care. Fragmented care occurs when there is a disconnect in the communication strategies between healthcare staff, patients, and other stakeholders. The Communication Strategies for Healthcare Leaders course is designed to provide healthcare professionals with effective strategies and frameworks needed to navigate organizational complexity and interpersonal communication challenges.”

— Roderick W. Gilkey, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine; Emeritus Professor in the Practice of Organization & Management, Goizueta Business School

Course Highlights

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Expert Faculty

Participate in a course that is designed by an award-winning expert in psychiatry, neuroimaging, and business management.

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Industry Examples

Acquire a deeper understanding of the concepts covered in each module through real-life healthcare industry scenarios.

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Self-Paced Learning

Access recorded sessions that provide the flexibility to learn at your own pace with a weekly commitment of three to five hours.

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Frameworks and Tools

Gain multiple frameworks and tools to help craft your communication strategies, including a proprietary framework for creating highly effective work environments.

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Self-Assessments

Introspect to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a leader using a variety of self-assessment exercises in the modules.

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Hands-On Learning

Practice course learnings through assignments and discussions that will accelerate your ability to integrate the learnings in your professional role.

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Case Studies

Explore case studies of prominent leaders that demonstrate the impact and importance of successful communication strategies.

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Capstone Project

Work on a capstone project to refine your skills by applying course learnings to a communication challenge in your organization for immediate on-the-job impact.

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Guest Interviews

Gain insights into communication and conflict resolution from industry experts who share their extensive experience in the field.

Curriculum

The comprehensive curriculum will help you develop core leadership capabilities beyond business acumen to tackle communication challenges you may encounter often.

Module 1:

Foundations of Leadership Strategy and Communication

Explore personality traits and their impacts on communication and leadership approaches and examine different leadership styles to get results. Navigate the challenges of gaining credibility, authority, and influence in the healthcare environment. Develop your own personal leadership style and understand the derailment factors that affect effective leadership.

Module 2:

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Understand emotional intelligence to cultivate self-awareness and hone your communication style for more authentic interactions and improved outcomes. Understand the cognitive and emotional competencies important for healthcare leadership, and build rational, emotional and interpersonal skills to enhance your leadership communication.

Module 3:

Communicating Influence and Leading with Emotional Intelligence

Discover the importance of receptive communication and effective listening to influence teams and successfully implement strategic change. Understand the nuances of solving complex problems in healthcare. Explore the key indicators of emotional literacy, and develop your own emotional intelligence needed for effective leadership.

Module 4:

Leading and Managing Complexity and Conflict

Create a harmonious work environment through integrating ideas, recognizing and addressing seemingly contradictory situations, and developing a diagnostic mind.

Module 5:

Dealing with Conflict and Crisis

Delve further into tools and strategies for communicating through conflict and achieving a positive resolution by navigating organizational complexity and fostering change. Explore how to modify your personal leadership and negotiation style for greater impact, engagement, and productivity in the workplace.

Module 6:

Building a Culture for People to Thrive

Integrate learnings from previous modules to encourage open and candid communication, reduce workplace stress, and cultivate a highly effective environment for teams. Learn how to manage stress triggers in the workplace and create supporting and encouraging work environments to build on individual and team potential.

Module 1:

Foundations of Leadership Strategy and Communication

Explore personality traits and their impacts on communication and leadership approaches and examine different leadership styles to get results. Navigate the challenges of gaining credibility, authority, and influence in the healthcare environment. Develop your own personal leadership style and understand the derailment factors that affect effective leadership.

Module 4:

Leading and Managing Complexity and Conflict

Create a harmonious work environment through integrating ideas, recognizing and addressing seemingly contradictory situations, and developing a diagnostic mind.

Module 2:

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Understand emotional intelligence to cultivate self-awareness and hone your communication style for more authentic interactions and improved outcomes. Understand the cognitive and emotional competencies important for healthcare leadership, and build rational, emotional and interpersonal skills to enhance your leadership communication.

Module 5:

Dealing with Conflict and Crisis

Delve further into tools and strategies for communicating through conflict and achieving a positive resolution by navigating organizational complexity and fostering change. Explore how to modify your personal leadership and negotiation style for greater impact, engagement, and productivity in the workplace.

Module 3:

Communicating Influence and Leading with Emotional Intelligence

Discover the importance of receptive communication and effective listening to influence teams and successfully implement strategic change. Understand the nuances of solving complex problems in healthcare. Explore the key indicators of emotional literacy, and develop your own emotional intelligence needed for effective leadership.

Module 6:

Building a Culture for People to Thrive

Integrate learnings from previous modules to encourage open and candid communication, reduce workplace stress, and cultivate a highly effective environment for teams. Learn how to manage stress triggers in the workplace and create supporting and encouraging work environments to build on individual and team potential.

Capstone Project

The capstone project involves developing a detailed action plan for a challenging situation facing your organization that requires the integration of stress management, leadership strategies, and conflict resolution. You will be asked to reflect on the anticipated or actual outcomes of your plan, any obstacles you may face, and how you intend to overcome them.

Frameworks and Tools

The important tools and resources are aimed at developing the competencies necessary for developing communication strategies and effective leadership in healthcare.

  • Six leadership styles: Research from Daniel Goleman highlighting six distinct leadership styles based on different aspects of emotional intelligence
  • Situational leadership II model: Activity for participants to reflect on leadership skills and approaches that they already use and those they need to develop
  • Four communication strategies: Communication strategies to increase the efficiency of teams and influence the culture of an organization
  • Nominal group technique: Technique to improve group decision-making, from Alfred Sloan of General Motors, by encouraging all team members to express their opinions
  • 12-step protocol for challenging conversations: Tool that prepares leaders to anticipate, plan for, and conduct challenging conversations
  • Brain-friendly environments: A proprietary framework for creating an environment where everyone can achieve their potential

Course Faculty

Profile picture of faculty Roderick W. Gilkey, PhD

Roderick W. Gilkey, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine; Emeritus Professor in the Practice of Organization & Management, Goizueta Business School

Roderick W. Gilkey holds a joint appointment at Emory University, as a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory School of Medicine and at the Goizueta Business School as a Professor in the Practice of Organization and Management. His most recent research is in the area of neuroimaging, which involves the use of fMRI scanning technology to gain images of executives who are involved in strategic thinking, moral reasoning and creative problem solving. This research is focused on understanding how the brain operates using cognitive and emotional reasoning in executive populations. More info
Profile picture of faculty Roderick W. Gilkey, PhD

Roderick W. Gilkey, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine; Emeritus Professor in the Practice of Organization & Management, Goizueta Business School

Roderick W. Gilkey holds a joint appointment at Emory University, as a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory School of Medicine and at the Goizueta Business School as a Professor in the Practice of Organization and Management. His most recent research is in the area of neuroimaging, which involves the use of fMRI scanning technology to gain images of executives who are involved in strategic thinking, moral reasoning and creative problem solving. This research is focused on understanding how the brain operates using cognitive and emotional reasoning in executive populations.

Gilkey is the recipient of the university’s highest teaching honor, the Emory Williams Award and Goizueta Business School’s Mark Adler Teaching Excellence Award. He is also the recipient of the Emory Medical School’s Albert E. Levy Award for outstanding scientific research contribution for his research on moral reasoning in executive populations.

Gilkey has also provided services to numerous nonprofit organizations, including CARE, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Department of State, and the United States Department of Defense (IDB) and The Taskforce on Global Health. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of Quantuvos (where he is helping to develop a research center for evidence-based coaching effectiveness). He also serves on the Technology Advisory Group of Morris, Manning and Martin.

Certificate

Image to depict sample of the program certificate

Certificate

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be awarded a verified digital certificate by Emory Executive Education. The certificate will be a recognition of your achievement in completing the Communication Strategies for Healthcare Leaders course.

FAQs

  • How do I know if this program is right for me?
    After reviewing the information on the program landing page, we recommend you submit the short form above to gain access to the program brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions on whether this program is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated program advisor will follow-up with you very shortly.



    Are there any prerequisites for this program?
    Some programs do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the program landing page, as well as in the program brochure. If you are uncertain about program prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at the ID mentioned above.
    Note that, unless otherwise stated on the program web page, all programs are taught in English and proficiency in English is required.

    What is the typical class profile?
    More than 50 percent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but, generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience in terms of professional experience, industry, and geography — leading to a very rich peer learning and networking experience.



    What other dates will this program be offered in the future?
    Check back to this program web page or email us to inquire if future program dates or the timeline for future offerings have been confirmed yet.



  • How much time is required each week?
    Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.



    How will my time be spent?
    We have designed this program to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent among a variety of activities including:

    • Engaging with recorded video lectures from faculty
    • Attending webinars and office hours, as per the specific program schedule
    • Reading or engaging with examples of core topics
    • Completing knowledge checks/quizzes and required activities
    • Engaging in moderated discussion groups with your peers
    • Completing your final project, if required

    The program is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and to demonstrate an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on program activities.



    What is it like to learn online with the learning collaborator, Emeritus?
    More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programs said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.

    All the contents of the course would be made available to students at the commencement of the course. However, to ensure the program delivers the desired learning outcomes the students may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the program in a cohort-based manner the cost of which is already included in the overall course fee of the course.

    A dedicated program support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues, or anything else that may affect your learning experience.



    How do I interact with other program participants?
    Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the program. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.



  • What are the requirements to earn the certificate?
    Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enroll. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programs are designed to fit into your working life.

    This program is scored as a pass or no-pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programs include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the program brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific program requirements.

    What type of certificate will I receive?
    Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools, or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter, resume, and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile.
    The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the program, once grading is complete.

    Can I get the hard copy of the certificate?
    No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

    Do I receive alumni status after completing this program?
    No, there is no alumni status granted for this program. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the program brochure.

    How long will I have access to the learning materials?
    You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and program materials for 12 months following the program start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.



  • What equipment or technical requirements are there for this program?
    Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts.

    Do I need to be online to access the program content?
    Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access program content from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.

    Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any livestream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you may view them later.



  • Can I still register if the registration deadline has passed?
    Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the program without missing any of the core program material or learnings.

    What is the program fee, and what forms of payment do you accept?
    The program fee is noted at the top of this program web page and usually referenced in the program brochure as well.

      • Flexible payment options are available (see details below as well as at the top of this program web page next to FEE).
      • Tuition assistance is available for participants who qualify. Please email learner.success@emeritus.org.

    What if I don’t have a credit card? Is there another method of payment accepted?
    Yes, you can do the bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your program advisor, or email us for details.

    I was not able to use the discount code provided. Can you help?
    Yes! Please email us with the details of the program you are interested in, and we will assist you.

    How can I obtain an invoice for payment?
    Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific program you’re interested in enrolling in.

    Is there an option to make flexible payments for this program?
    Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the program fee in installments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.

    How can I obtain a W9 form?
    Please connect with us via email for assistance.

    Who will be collecting the payment for the program?
    Emeritus collects all program payments, provides learner enrollment and program support, and manages learning platform services.


  • What is the program refund and deferral policy?
    For the program refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.



Connect with a Learning Advisor for a 1:1 Session

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or Schedule a call with one of our Academic Advisors or call us at +1 585 549 3600 (US) / +44 1174 633354 (UK)

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