Physician Leadership Journal
Championing Physician Leadership Development: AAPL’s Five-Decade Commitment Meets Healthcare’s Critical Moment
Healthcare's complexity — value-based care, AI, virtual care, workforce shifts—requires physicians with strong leadership. Yet many organizations rely on chance, not systematic development, to prepare leaders.
March/April 2026 Vol. 13, No. 2 pp. 1–5 DOI: 10.55834/plj.5767561171
Abstract
The contemporary healthcare landscape demands a fundamental reimagining of physician leadership development. As health systems grow increasingly complex — navigating value-based care models, artificial intelligence integration, virtual care delivery, and evolving workforce dynamics — the need for physicians equipped with leadership competencies has never been more urgent. Yet despite this critical need, many practices and organizations continue to rely on serendipity rather than systematic development to prepare their clinicians for leadership roles.
