Dr. Wicky Attends Educational Course at Harvard

This past month, Dr. Stephan Wicky van Doyer attended the Harvard School of Public Health, Fundamentals of Healthcare Project Management course.   The four day long course was both “very well organized and very intense” Wicky said.

Dr. Wicky recalls his experience below:

First half of the program-

The first two days were dedicated to project management. The four phases presented to the group were Initiation, Planning, Execution and Control, and Closing.  In phase 3, nine planning elements were discussed. We debated key elements for success, as well as reasons for failure in projects, including ensuring continued executive support and sustainability.

Definitions of sponsor, manager, team and stakeholders and tools/charter/scorecard (Gantt, RACI) were provided to describe how to manage projects. Risk evaluation and lessons we had previously learned were also reviewed.

Multiple team workshops/exercises took place, which gave us the opportunity to elaborate all phases of different projects. These group exercises allowed for exchanging of experiences and useful materials with participants from all around the world.

Second half of the program-

During the next two days, we discussed how to create successful teams, taking into account individual competence, commitment and having a supportive environment. Some aspects of teamwork were discussed in depth such as trust, team alignment, or evaluation. Navigating the waters of conflict, negotiation and the balance between substance and relationship were discussed.

Later, a full session was dedicated to patient safety, quality and patient satisfaction improvement. The speaker was outstanding. His lecture was very well illustrated and captivated us all.

Everyone left the course with plenty of energy and new connections.