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Healthcare Leaders

Clinician Leadership

The joint University of Vermont (UVM), Larner College of Medicine and Vermont Medical Society (VMS) leadership course is designed to empower clinician leaders across Vermont with the skills, knowledge, practical experience, and networking opportunities needed to foster effective, sustainable team success.

The course also provides a foundational understanding of business and financial principles, as well as key aspects of healthcare systems, to equip leaders with the tools necessary to navigate organizational challenges, drive strategic decision-making, and enhance the delivery of high-quality patient care.

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Program Snapshot

Next Start Date

October 29, 2026

Next Registration Deadline

August 28, 2026

Cost

$3,100. A $375 scholarship is available for each participant.

Credential

CMEs and Certificate of Completion

Overview

The Clinician Leadership Program, offered with the Larner College of Medicine and Vermont Medical Society, empowers clinicians to become effective, wellness-centered leaders. Through in-person learning, you’ll gain skills in team development, finance, communication, and healthcare systems to drive strategic, high-quality patient care and organizational success.

Participants’ voices and experiences are central to this learning. Therefore, we help participants apply tools, techniques, and insights to their situation/organization and its culture.

Steering Committee Members

  • Sarah Davies, MD, Family Medicine Physician, UVM Health
  • Carl (Trey) Dobson, MD, Emergency Medicine Dartmouth Health
  • Jessa Barnard, JD, Executive Director, Vermont Medical Society
  • Stephanie Winters, Deputy Executive Director, Vermont Medical Society
  • Nichole Hathaway, Program Developer, University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education
  • Stephanie Koerella, Program Manager, University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education
  • Eileen Brickell, Program Coordinator, University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education
  • Colleen Fabian, Instructional Designer, University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education

Instructors

Location

Topnotch Resort
4000 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672

  • Tuition does not include overnight rooms but there is a group rate.
    • Room rate is $249 per night + fees. 

Panelists

Schedule

Expand to view the itinerary.

10am – 5pm

Program Launch

Trey Dobson, MD & Sarah Davies, MD

  • Welcome Panel
  • Project Management
  • Wellness Centered Leadership

9am – 4pm

Leila Amiri, Ph.D.

  • Emotional Intelligence

10am – 5pm

Christian Pulcini, MD, MEd, MPH

  • How to Lead an Effective Meeting

Keith Robinson, MD

  • Quality Improvement in Health Care

Trey Dobson, MD & Sarah Davies, MD

  • Review of Quality Improvement Projects
  • Small groups to discuss project

10am – 5pm

Instructor TBD

  • Building High Quality Teams

9am – 4pm

Jessica Moschella

  • Healthcare Economics

Cheyenne Holland

  • Healthcare Finance

Sarah Davies, MD

  • Small groups to discuss project

10am – 4pm

  • Advocacy Panel

Carol Kelly

  • Advocacy & Media Training

Trey Dobson, MD

  • Facilitated Conclusion

9am – 4pm

Trey Dobson, MD & Sarah Davies, MD

Program Wrap Up:

  • Project Presentations
  • Graduation
FormatDateTimeSpeaker(s)Topic
In-Person Friday, September 12, 202510:00am – 10:30amSarah Davies & Jessa Barnard – Program DirectorsWelcome & Introductions
10:30am – 11:30amPanelists – Health Network & Non-Health Network Physician Leaders
Sarah Davies, MD
Trey Dobson, MD
Katie Marvin, MD		Becoming a Physician Leader – Everyone’s Journey is Different
11:30am – 12:30pmChristian Pulcini, MDHow to Lead an Effective Meeting
12:30 – 1:30pmLunch
1:30pm – 2:45pmSarah Davies, MDWellness Centered Leadership & A Path to Professional Fulfillment   
3:00pm – 4:30pmTrey Dobson, MDProject Management and introducing project ideas 
4:30pm – 5:00pmJessa Barnard & Stephanie WintersPresent project concepts/past projects
In-PersonThursday, October 23, 202510:00am – 5:00pmMelissa Arthur & Dael WaxmanEmotional Intelligence
In-PersonFriday, October 24, 20259:00am – 4:00pmMelissa Arthur & Dael WaxmanEmotional Intelligence
Online LiveThursday, October 30, 20256:00pm – 7:00pmMelissa Arthur & Dael WaxmanEmotional Intelligence
Online LiveThursday, December 4, 20256:00pm – 7:00pmSarah Davies & Trey DobsonReview of Quality Improvement Projects
Small groups to discuss projects
In-PersonThursday, January 15, 202610:00am – 5:00pmSusan LoyndBuilding High Performing Teams
In-PersonFriday, January 16, 20269:00am – 4:00pmSusan LoyndBuilding High Performing Teams
Online LiveThursday, January 29, 20266:00pm – 7:00pmSusan LoyndBuilding High Performing Teams
In-PersonThursday, March 12, 20261:00pm – 2:45pmJessica MoschellaHealthcare Economics
3:00pm – 5:00pmCheyenne HollandHealthcare Finance
In-PersonFriday, March 13, 20269:00am – 11:00amTrey Dobson, MDFacilitated Conclusion
11:15am – 12:00pmJessa/StephanieProject Presentations
1:00pm – 1:30pmJessa/StephanieProject Presentations
1:30pmVMS President/HN RepresentativeGraduation

Clinician Leadership Development Course Description

The joint University of Vermont (UVM), Larner College of Medicine and Vermont Medical Society (VMS) leadership course is designed to empower clinician leaders across Vermont with the skills, knowledge, practical experience, and networking opportunities needed to foster effective, sustainable team success. 

The course also provides a foundational understanding of business and financial principles, as well as key aspects of healthcare systems, to equip leaders with the tools necessary to navigate organizational challenges, drive strategic decision-making, and enhance the delivery of high-quality patient care. 

Topics and Key Competencies 

Recognizing the broad skill set required to be a successful leader, this course will focus on the following topics: 

  • Team development and effective change management 
  • Project management 
  • Communication/interpersonal skills 
  • Professional development and wellness-based leadership 
  • Finance/budgeting 
  • Health systems and care delivery 

Each topic’s goals and key competencies/skills are outlined in the following sections:  

Team development and effective change management 

Goal:  

Develop the skills and tools needed to cultivate a high-performing team, drive effective change management, and implement problem-solving strategies using a systems-based approach. 

Skills: 

  • Understand the qualities of and strategies to develop a high-performing team.  
  • Identify strategies for engaging the team in making effective change. 
  • Explore existing strengths and develop skills to improve the relational aspects of managing people and leading teams. 
  • Develop adaptive communication strategies for different audiences (i.e.: executives, direct reports, peers, staff) 
  • Gain tools and strategies to plan and lead effective meetings. 

Project Management

Goal:

Develop the skills to design, implement, and evaluate a project aimed at improving an aspect of clinical practice—such as operational efficiency, quality of care, patient or staff experience, or workflow. By the end of the course, participants will present a project tailored to their clinical setting.

Skills:

  • Describe the core elements of effective project management and their relevance to healthcare operations.
  • Identify a meaningful challenge or opportunity for improvement in the clinical setting and design a targeted project.
  • Apply project planning and implementation strategies to address identified needs.
  • Manage a project through its lifecycle, including planning, execution, and evaluation.
  • Present project and outcomes to leadership program faculty and fellow cohort members, including a summary of how the project was shared with stakeholders and peers within their clinical setting.

Communication/Interpersonal skills 

Goal:  

Develop and refine skills to navigate challenging situations/conflict resolutions among colleagues and staff. Encourage and support a collaborative work environment.

Skills:  

  • Assess your ability to effectively perceive and express yourself, develop and maintain relationships, and cope with challenges. 
  • Articulate/describe your leadership style and/or personality traits. 
  • Demonstrate how to best collaborate with and lead others with different styles. 
  • Review and practice strategies to have effective difficult conversations with colleagues; model, encourage, and facilitate open communication and feedback between all members of the practice. 

Professional development and wellness-based leadership 

Goal:  

Recognize the impact of clinician leaders on individual and team well-being and burnout. Develop techniques to guide and support the well-being and professional development of physicians and advance practice professional (APP) colleagues.  

Skills: 

  • Recognize how your own professional fulfillment and/or burnout relates to your effectiveness as a leader. 
  • Describe current models of wellness-centered leadership and professional fulfillment. 
  • Identify ways in which you and your organization can support the professional fulfillment and well-being of yourself and your colleagues.  

Finance/Budgeting 

Goal:  

Monitor, interpret, and communicate relevant financial data to key clinic stakeholders. 

Skills: 

  • Develop a budgeting vocabulary, including work relative value unit (wRVU), gross and net revenue, expenses, etc.
  • Interpret the profit and loss statement of a clinical practice. 
  • Identify the types of funding associated with different practice types such as federally qualified health center (FQHC), private practice, rural health center, community hospital, academic medical center. 
  • Develop an understanding of the importance of being able to frame desired practice change in the context of a facility budget.

Health Systems and Care Delivery 

Goal:  

Develop an understanding of the healthcare landscape in Vermont, New York, and nationally, and explain the impacts on practicing clinicians, patients, and communities. 

Skills:  

  • Gain an understanding of Vermont’s health care regulatory environment, including the role of the Green Mountain Care Board, legislature and Agency of Human Services. 
  • Assess the role of payment reforms, such as population health models, global budgets, reference-based pricing, federal payment reform models and policy shifts in shaping future healthcare delivery. 
  • Recognize the challenges and opportunities that shifts in payment might bring to your practice setting, and to overall patient care/experience. 
  • Improve communication skills with patients, community members, advocacy groups and policy makers. 
  • Identify opportunities for influence and involvement with advocacy groups and local, regional, and national policy makers. 

Advocacy & Media Training

Goal: 

Develop the skills and tools needed to advocate for systems change within a practice, health care facility, community or statewide level. 

Skills:

  • Articulate the need for physicians and APPs to advocate for systems change within our health care system. 
  • Understand different loci of policy change including working within a health care system, the legislature or administrative agencies. 
  • Identify the range of tools for engaging in advocacy depending on time, interest and the issue being advocated for.
  • Develop and practice crafting and presenting key messages to different audiences (e.g.: executives, media, the public, patients, policy makers) 

FAQs

Physicians and advanced practice professionals who have recently assumed or aspire to take on leadership roles are encouraged to participate. It is particularly aimed at individuals with 5 or more years of clinical experience but minimal formal leadership training. The course aims for a cohort of 24 physicians & APPs from across Vermont and neighboring states.

From 2019-2025, the Vermont Medical Society offered a statewide Physician Executive Leadership Program and UVM Health also offered a Physician Leadership Development Program. Beginning in 2025-26, we joined these programs together under the umbrella of the UVM Professional and Continuing Education program for one statewide leadership program.  We are pleased to be continuing our second year of a joint leadership course for 2026-27 and opening the course to APPs.

Clinicians should apply by completing the application linked here (and on this website) by August 28th.  Applicants will be asked for a brief paragraph outlining their interest in the course, their ability to fully participate in scheduled course sessions, and a CV.

Should more applications be received than available slots, applications will be reviewed by the steering committee members and selected based on factors including practice location and type, specialty, demonstrated interest and availability to participate in the program.

Applicants are encouraged to inquire with their practice or medical staff leadership regarding potential support, as some practices and hospitals may sponsor participation or allow the use of CME funds toward the cost.

Applicants will notified by September 4th if they are selected and will have until October 2, 2026 to commit and pay tuition.  Please block program dates at the time of your application to ensure you can participate if selected. 

 

Yes, this course will be accredited for CME Credits.

All session costs and expenses (food, CME, assessments) are included in the tuition, but room costs are not included. You can inquire if your organization allows use with CME/professional expense funds to cover the cost of the hotel room.