Beyond the Exam Room: How Clinicians Can Shape the Systems That Shape Their Patients

Overview

You didn't design the prior auth process, the referral maze, or the 15-minute visit. But you live with them, and so do your patients. The good news: clinicians have more leverage over these systems than most realize, and using it doesn't require a committee appointment or unpaid nights and weekends.
Drawing on her experience as a practicing emergency physician and former Chief Medical Officer for the state of Alaska, Dr. Anne Zink has seen the healthcare system from the exam room and from the policy table. Through patient stories and real-world examples, she'll show how listening, partnership, and a systems lens can turn daily frustrations into fixable problems. You'll leave with realistic, right-sized strategies for improving the systems around your practice: knowing which battles are winnable, which levers actually move, and how to advocate for the time and support that make change stick, without adding to your burnout.

Learning Objectives

• Identify system-level barriers and opportunities that influence patient care and clinician autonomy, distinguishing those amenable to local intervention from those requiring broader advocacy
• Apply principles of systems thinking and partnership to address common challenges that extend beyond the clinical encounter
• Develop practical strategies for engaging organizational structures, colleagues, community resources, and other partners to advance sustainable improvements in patient care