The Global Executive Education Program, which officially kicked off in 2019 just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, recently welcomed its first post-pandemic cohort: 22 physicians, researchers and administrators from two partner hospitals in Beijing. The group spent most of May at Michigan Medicine, participating in lectures and workshops, touring clinical spaces, and meeting with leaders and administrators from across the health system.
“Through this training, I was introduced to many areas I have never explored before. It made me think about the reasons behind the differences between China and the United States,” said Chutong Lin, MD, a Thoracic Surgeon at Peking University Third Hospital. “I am confident that I can effectively adapt the experiences here to my work in China.”
The curriculum spanned more than 90 course hours, covering topics including healthcare finance; healthcare quality improvement, academic hospital management and operation; clinical and translational research; medical education and faculty development; risk management and patient safety; and much more.
The idea is for the participants to glean insights they can take back to their home institutions. In their final presentations, many singled out sessions led by Quality Department colleagues focused Lean Thinking as particularly impactful.
“The quality control and lean management (content) was very important. In our work, we often neglect continuous checks and improvement,” said Yanliang Ma, MD, Chief Physician of Internal Medicine at Peking University People’s Hospital. “This experience will greatly benefit my future work.”
In addition to lectures, participants were given behind-the-scenes looks at many aspects of Michigan Medicine, touring Survival Flight, MM Command Center, the Clinical Simulation Center, the Center for Japanese Family Medicine, the Kellogg Eye Center, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, and more. In all, about 65 faculty and administrative leaders from across the institution engaged with the participants over the course of the program.
“I am so thankful to all of our presenters and tour leaders who took time to meet with our participants,” said Amy Huang, MD, MHSA, Global REACH Director for Asia Programs. “The insights they shared can have a big impact as our guests return to China and begin to draw on the lessons learned here in Ann Arbor.
“Just as important, our participants leave here with a real affinity for Michigan Medicine and an understanding of how we do things. There is the potential to engage in future partnerships and collaborations down the road,” Huang said.
Global REACH expects to host at least one more Global Executive Education Program cohort this year, and as many as 6 groups to visit Michigan Medicine in 2025.
