Mission

The mission of the West Virginia Hospital Association’s Hospital Leadership Academy is to prepare hospital employees to effectively lead transformation in their organizations by broadening their knowledge of the complexities of health care in West Virginia and beyond; and to provide experiences not available to them within their own organizations.

Purpose

Teamwork has positive effects in health care organizations, especially on quality and safety of care. The ability to be both an effective team leader and team member is essential for reducing medical errors, improving quality of patient care, addressing workload issues, building cohesion, and reducing burnout of health care professionals. An effective health care leader in today’s environment requires a wide range of knowledge beyond one’s formal academic training. To effectively work in diverse teams (nursing, physicians, finance, administration, clinical services) health care leaders need to have a broad understanding of many of the issues one will face in today’s health care environment. Additionally, executive leadership skills are sought after for advancing career opportunities, enhancing employee satisfaction, and influencing retention in the workplace.

For this reason, WVHA has developed the Hospital Leadership Academy to provide training in executive leadership development and to provide the opportunity to learn from a broad range of experts from across the country. Individuals engaged in this nine-month program will gain the experiences, insights, networking, competencies and skill enhancements necessary to effectively lead teams in the workplace and community.

Academy Features

The Academy offers participants the opportunity to:

• engage in a curriculum that packages foundational leadership skills and targeted healthcare issues, delivered by knowledgeable subject matter experts;
• develop leadership skills that will help advance their organizations’ mission;
• experience a range of healthcare facility site visits across the state;
• participate in interactive discussion with hospital CEOs; and
• network with peers and colleagues from across the state.