Development and Promotion at North Atlantic Hospital

Dr. Elizabeth Harris, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology (DA) at North Atlantic Hospital (NAH), faces several significant challenges. Staff satisfaction surveys confirmed her assessment that department faculty morale was low; the tenure and promotion system was perceived as opaque and biased toward researchers over clinicians; and overall, faculty felt the organization had little interest in their professional development and well-being. NAH had mandated career conferences across all departments one year prior, and Harris felt this initiative could serve as an important building block for a comprehensive staff performance and development program for the DA. In designing the DA career conference initiative, Harris and her team polled DA faculty representing all promotion tracks and lengths of service. They also captured best practices from across other NAH divisions and other peer institutions.