Resistance to ‘Disruptive Physician’ Intervention and JCAHO Guidelines

As one of the largest providers of approved Executive Coaching/Anger Management for Disruptive Physicians, we at Anderson & Anderson® receive a large number of inquires regarding our physician-coaching program daily. Over the last three months, we have found that some physicians, as well as their Attorney/representatives, are attempting to avoid, evade or manipulate the intent of these new requirements. Unfortunately, everyone is placed at risk when an inappropriate intervention, or no intervention, is offered as a legitimate response to “disruptive behavior” on the part of physician.

A HOSPITAL’S MEDICAL STAFF is charged with assuring that patients receive quality medical care. But disruptive physician behavior can destabilize patient care at many levels.

At the governance level, it can trigger painful disciplinary action by the governing body.

* At the physician level, it can strain referral, coverage, leadership and peer review activities.

Standards set by the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations can help medical staff deal with disruptive physician behavior in a fair, organized fashion. The standards impact medical staff by laws, rules and regulations, executive committee structure and function, departmental leadership, and the credentialing and performance improvement processes.

However, when mandated physicians and their representatives attempt to avoid enrolling in an appropriate program, it is the community at large that suffers.

An appropriate program for physicians must include an assessment at intake that includes baseline functioning in recognizing and managing the following: anger, stress, assertive communication and emotional intelligence. The intervention must include enhancement skills in all of the content areas mentioned above. Finally, all programs must include a minimum of six months of aftercare and post-tests.

A partial list of legitimate programs for “disruptive physicians” include the following:

The Pace Program, University of California at San Diego

Impaired Physician Program, Vanderbilt University

Anderson & Anderson Executive Coaching/Anger Management for Physicians


George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson®, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org