3 Elements of an Effective PA/Physician Team

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What does a good team practice relationship look like? PA practice itself is uniquely influenced by the quality of the team that PAs work within and in this post I’d like to share a few thoughts on characteristics of effective PA/Physician teams I have learned about from speaking with PAs over the years.

1. Communication

Effective teams feel comfortable consulting, sharing questions, theories and discussing problems. In practical terms, this communication process should start during the interview and contract negotiation experience. In the interview, be aware of the tone and clarity of communication from collaborating physicians you’ll be working with. How do they describe their mission and that of the practice/institution? How do they describe the PA/physician team and how they would best work together? Does a sense of trust inform their sense of delegation?

To keep the lines of communication open, does your employer offer a yearly, or better yet bi-annual meeting with your collaborative physician(s) in which you can both discuss what is working well and what would improve your partnership? Clinical relationships are always works in progress, and generally speaking, open and constructive communication keep them growing and functional.

2. Respect, Trust and Collegiality

Collegiality is closely linked to the crucial issue of respect and trust in a collaborative relationship. Admittedly, these often grow with experience, as each party demonstrates their knowledge, dedication, work ethic and accountability to the other. Healthy clinical partnerships as described by my clients also include an expansive vision in which a PA is encouraged to work at the “top of their license” and expand their skills and roles over time. Are you growing at your current job? If not, what changes in your role and responsibilities would bring growth and excitement back to your practice?

3. Shared Vision and Values

Many PAs who are thriving in their careers describe working in an environment that allows them to practice in a way that reflects their values and vision of patient care. Given the pressures and complexity of the American healthcare system, this is to be understood in relative, not absolute terms: no practice or institution is perfect and clinicians are often confronted with market driven demands that run counter to patient-centered practice.

The question is: does yours have enough commitment to the sorts of professional values that imbue your practice with meaning and accomplishment? Are you allowed to develop truly supportive relationships with patients or to view them as interchangeable units to be “processed” as quickly as possible?

PAs have a leading role to play in bringing truly patient-centered medicine to healthcare, as well as an understanding of the effectiveness of collaboration and cooperation in providing optimal care. By both cultivating and insisting on high-quality collaborative relationships PAs can help make these values an ever more visible part of American medical culture.

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Jennifer Anne Hohman is Founder of PA Career Coach and has worked as a passionate advocate for PAs career growth for over 15 years.