UF receives grant to train Florida's next generation of physician leaders

October 11, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida Leadership Development Institute and the Florida Medical Association, known as the FMA, have received a $72,000 grant from The Physicians Foundation to prepare Florida physicians for health care leadership roles.

The FMA partnered with the University of Florida Leadership Development Institute to design and deliver the curriculum for the FMA Physician Leadership Academy, created to address the increasing demand for physician leaders following the passage of national health care reform. Participants in the 10-month FMA Physician Leadership Academy will learn the fundamentals of leadership in a changing medical environment, and how to improve health care delivery for their patients, their communities and the medical profession.

“As the physician work force ages and our current physician leaders retire, we will need to replace them with a new generation of physicians who have a much different view of medicine than their predecessors,” said FMA Executive Vice President Timothy J. Stapleton. “It is important that we identify these future physician leaders and provide them with the tools they need to be effective advocates for the medical profession and the patients they serve.”

The FMA Physician Leadership Academy was funded by a grant from The Physicians Foundation as part of the foundation’s effort to help identify and train future medical leaders.

“The Physicians Foundation has made physician leadership a major focus,” said Lou Goodman, foundation president. “Currently there is a dearth of effective, world-class programs that provide leadership training for physicians.”

Participating in the FMA Leadership Academy are 10 physicians, all under the age of 45.

They are:
Dr. Aaron Sudbury, Manatee County, obstetrics/gynecology.
Dr. Ajoy Kumar, Pinellas County, family medicine.
Dr. Daniel Kantor, Duval County, neurology.
Dr. Debbie Berlin, Clay County, general surgery.
Dr. Jason Boardman, Lake Sumter County, general surgery.
Dr. Jose Jimenez, Hillsborough County, pediatrics.
Dr. Judith Barreiro, Hillsborough County, obstetrics-gynecology.
Dr. Nancy Baker, Indian River County, family medicine.
Dr. Shelley Glover, Lake-Sumter County, gynecology.
Dr. Dean Traiger, Lee County, family medicine.

The academy will consist of five full-day sessions that will be held in the Orlando, Tampa Bay and Gainesville areas between October 2010 and July 2011.