UVA Radiology Members Part of Inaugural Cohort for Health Leadership Institute

 

On June 12, 32 team members from across UVA Health gathered to celebrate the conclusion of their training in the first-ever cohort of the UVA Health Leadership Institute (HLI). Those participants included two members of the Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging: CT Supervisor Sara Baggett and Associate Professor Arun Krishnaraj, MD, MPH.

Launched in July 2023, the institute’s mission is to provide leadership development opportunities for team members at different phases of their careers, from across all health system entities.

The day centered on the presentation of five group capstone projects that covered topics central to the UVA Health 10-year strategic plan: expanding primary care, addressing disparities in health equity, fostering a unified “One UVA Health,” leveraging digital innovations, and expanding the cancer program. A celebratory reception in UVA’s historic Rotunda capped off the day and the months-long journey for HLI participants.

Dr. Krishnaraj worked on the topic of “One UVA Health,” and offered some thoughts on his experience in the program and beyond:

What is the most important lesson you learned while participating in the Health Leadership Institute?

Dr. Krishnaraj: While it may be a hackneyed expression to say that “healthcare is a team sport,” this was made readily apparent through all the exercises and workshops we participated in. My capstone group was composed of healthcare providers from across the continuum of care at UVA Health and each brought a unique perspective to our conversations. I learned a great deal from all of them and it will influence how I lead our diverse healthcare teams going forward.

How do you see yourself applying what you’ve learned in your role at UVA Health?

Dr. Krishnaraj: There are almost too many lessons to list, but I was particularly intrigued by Darden Professor Lillian Ellis’ case study on organizational design. As she notes, “you get the organization that you design,” so you must be purposeful in designing organizations to achieve the results you seek. As our health system expands, I will work more diligently to ensure that what we design for our medical center can scale to a health system level. In fact, I was so influenced by the Darden professors I had the privilege of interacting with that I have enrolled in the Darden Executive MBA program to commence this fall.

Who is a famous leader you admire and why?

Dr. Krishnaraj: I have always greatly admired Dean Smith, the legendary basketball coach of my alma mater, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (sorry Wahoo fans!). Coach Smith instilled in his teams, as well as the university at large, the concept of “The Carolina Way.” It is the guiding principles of selflessness: play hard, play smart, and play together. In an era of seismic change in healthcare, Coach Smith’s sage advice would benefit all our healthcare teams as we strive forward against the many headwinds we face.

Read more in Connect about other cohort members’ HLI experience and how they’ll bring their learnings to bear in their UVA Health careers and beyond. Original article written and reported by Ginny Clemenko.