Leadership Academy

This leadership program has been developed with a unique focus on leaders in the healthcare system. Whether they lead an academic department in the College of Medicine, a team in Penn State Health, or a clinical practice at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, their perspectives will be integrated to better understand the delicate balance required between the these three critical pieces of the system.

Participants will be better able to:

• Think strategically as they consider the goals and objectives of their department or team in the context of the constantly shifting healthcare environment
• Support an institutional culture focused on leaders and teams operating from a shared set of consistent values and actions
• Create and nurture an inclusive community of team members
• Increase their understanding of critical Penn State Health and College of Medicine strategies and financial drivers.

• Relevant Content – Sessions have been targeted to your environment by including the most current strategic, financial and cultural characteristics of the three parts of the system.
• Develop a new network – Connect with other leaders in the system while discussing current issues and learn how others are addressing similar challenges through the lens of their experiences.
• Enhance strategic leadership perspective – Make the connection between similarities and differences between the subsystems in each attendee’s environment to help all leaders think more broadly and help team members better understand their organization.
• Continuing Education Units – for completing the program.

Leadership Academy is intended for faculty, physician leaders and staff who have interest in leadership positions within their institutions, have previous leadership experience and have the support of their supervisor or chair. Applicants at mid-career or higher level with administrative or leadership responsibilities will receive priority.

Past participants are listed here:

“I just finished the Harvard Macy Program on Innovation in Medical Education. While it was outstanding, I think our leadership program was of comparable excellence. Will strongly encourage participation at UP.”
– Michael Flannigan, MD

“The Leadership Academy was instrumental in networking with other department members and getting a thorough understanding of the day to day operations of the hospital. It took me out of my smaller world of Dermatology and made me see the institution as a whole. This has been critically important as it has helped me understand the bigger picture and way certain decisions are made for the betterment of the Institution as a whole. The course was very successful and it was one of the best experiences and one of the most helpful experiences I have had the pleasure of participating in. The team I worked with was wonderful, and we all strived to achieve a common goal of improving the institution. I strongly recommend the course and I feel that it was extremely helpful in preparing me for my new role as Vice Chair of Dermatology.”
– Brian Anderson, MD

“The Leadership Academy provided me the opportunity to network and build relationships with my peers from across the system, enhance my leadership skills and inspired me to go back to my unit and apply the principles we learned to help my department better support the organization. The professors and presenters made the topics easy to understand and relatable to the challenges we face as leaders in today’s uncertain health care landscape.”
– Nicole Smith, BA, MPM

“The Leadership Academy offers a unique experience to sharpen and further develop your leadership skills. The program leverages your current knowledge while propelling you forward in your career development with thought provoking concepts. You are exposed to executive-level leaders who introduce you to key concepts with space to understand practical applications in your everyday work. The caliber of speakers was by far some of the best I have ever heard.”
-April Adley, MHA, BSN, RN, CNML

Program participants will learn from expert faculty and internal leaders from their own network. That means experienced faculty will lead conversations and strategic discussions for concepts and ideas, and system leaders will provide the “inside story” on what it means.

Below is a selection of the faculty leading the program:

Dr. Albert Vicere. An award-winning faculty member and published author, Vicere focuses on senior leader development in the areas of strategic leadership, organizational transformation, and clarify the connections between strategy, leadership and culture.

Dr. Margaret Luciano. Luciano’s research focuses on the dynamics and effectiveness of leaders, teams and complex systems. Luciano has extensive experience in leadership development, team coaching, and change implementation in organizations worldwide.  

Dr. Vilmos Misangyi. Misangyi’s research focuses on the influence
of top executives on organizational constituencies and, how external societal forces, constituencies and governance structures impact executive actions and organizational outcomes. Underlying much of his past research is about understanding why misconduct occurs.

The program is focused on the unique partnership between Penn State Health and the College of Medicine. Content is selected and targeted to consider opportunities for collaboration, current organizational strategy, and creating a shared foundation to combat thinking in “organizational silos.” The proposed schedule as of April 2022 is as follows.

The program rate is $4,000 per person. Meals and lodging are an additional $825 per person ($275/night for October 25 to October 28, 2022). This rate covers meals and overnight accommodations during the program’s classroom portion hosted on Penn State’s University Park. Travel to take place following class on Tuesday.

Applications for Leadership Academy are due June 17, 2022.

Apply for Leadership Academy