In spring 2021, as many healthcare systems were navigating the COVID-19 crisis, Summer Liston-Crandall, MD, MBA’24, stepped in as medical director to fill an open CMO position at Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall, Michigan. Having participated in COVID decisions and holding other leadership positions at Oaklawn, Dr. Liston-Crandall became the doctor’s voice that was needed on the leadership team at the regional healthcare organization. She was so effective in this role that leadership offered her the CMO position.
“It was important to me at the time to continue caring for patients because that’s what I have always wanted to do. I was medical director on top of managing a full-time family medicine practice during a pandemic, and I was being pulled into conversations I didn’t have experience dealing with,” Dr. Liston-Crandall said. “Our CEO asked if I’d consider a master’s degree to round out my knowledge edges. I had done some online coursework through AAPL, and every day, I was facing new questions to answer. With the support of my family, it seemed we could handle one more thing, so I applied to the Kelley Physician MBA and began in fall 2022.”
The Physician MBA Program at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business is a 21-month program offered online with quarterly in-person classroom sessions. Clinicians from around the country enroll in the Indianapolis-based program for a physician-only MBA that is focused on healthcare. The program offers evidence-based business fundamentals taught by expert faculty, as well as one-on-one executive coaching and peer learning alongside other physicians.
“There’s this synergy when you take several doctors from different perspectives and tell them to work and think together. You grow so much through the experience,” Dr. Liston-Crandall said. “You also learn from casual conversations: How did you handle that disruptive doctor who was not respecting your decision? How did you face this economic challenge? We had some thorough conversations that really drove my growth.”
As she was leaning into the role of CMO at Oaklawn, Dr. Liston-Crandall was learning quantitative business skills like accounting, economics, finance, and operations for the first time at Kelley. She filled her business knowledge gaps while also gaining skills in healthcare-focused leadership and conflict resolution.
Though her experiences and personality have long driven her toward leadership positions, Dr. Liston-Crandall says the Physician MBA Program helped her develop more concrete and comprehensive ways to lead in healthcare.
“I knew how to talk to people, but I didn’t like conflict. I had to work my way through the idea that conflict is okay, and it’s really a method of problem-solving,” she said. “That was a key point of our negotiations class: You don’t have to be a bully to be a good negotiator. I always envisioned negotiations as loud and threatening, but I learned you can navigate a compassionate and savvy path toward a mutually agreeable solution.”
Like other physicians, Dr. Liston-Crandall relies on her extensive medical training, clinical experience, and instinct when it comes to treating patients. Many physicians who move into administrative and executive positions find they must build up their business intuition, too.
“I have a pretty strong gut instinct for things, but with data to support a business decision, I can provide detailed arguments and evidence-based evaluations on trends like physician turnover,” she said. “Being a learner in an organized way has really made me a better leader. I don’t just respond with what I think is happening in healthcare. I can support and really drive my argument in ways that people will take to heart.”
Dr. Liston-Crandall used what she learned in the Healthcare Process Improvement course in the Physician MBA Program to optimize the patient phone system within her primary care office at Oaklawn. After many patient complaints about the confusing and time-consuming phone tree process, Dr. Liston-Crandall and her Physician MBA team applied process improvement tools from the class to make the experience more effective and efficient.
“Our solution lessened the number of phone calls and the time staff spent on the phone, and it increased patient satisfaction. It was really rewarding to work our way through that,” Dr. Liston-Crandall said. “I enrolled in this program because I want to make healthcare work better and know how to navigate our complex system. Learning alongside other physician leaders and from faculty who’ve taught physicians from the start really makes the Kelley Physician MBA stand out. Whether learning process improvement, economics, or finance, we can apply everything to the healthcare setting.”
Beyond the process improvement project, Dr. Liston-Crandall says Physician MBA alumni continue to offer support and guidance in her work as CMO. An often-unexpected benefit of the program is how classmates form tight-knit groups that last years after graduation. They stay in touch to offer insight to one another and provide multidisciplinary perspectives on the challenges physician leaders face.
“At Oaklawn, we were searching for a new specialty group, and I put out feelers to my classmates for ideas. We vetted several options and ultimately selected a group they recommended,” she said. “These connections have been fruitful in a variety of ways.”
Aside from the MBA credentials and the business instincts that physicians gain from completing the Physician MBA Program, Dr. Liston-Crandall says she also gained confidence and executive presence that strengthens her leadership from within.
“It’s given me the confidence to avoid imposter syndrome. As a woman primary care physician, I want to feel like I can lead a successful organization among a lot of men, a lot of specialists, and a lot of people with different experiences. The Physician MBA Program really gave me the gumption to say: Summer you are in a role you deserve, and these are the things you bring to the table,” she said. “It highlighted my strengths and helped me to develop weaker areas. I feel more equipped for the role I have and any future roles I may encounter.”
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