The Wyoming Medical Society has received a $150,000 grant from The Physician Foundation to fund a leadership program for Wyoming physicians. The program will allow a cohort of between 15-and-20 Wyoming physicians to take part in the program each year. The inaugural program will get started in October of 2017.
The program will be broken up into seven two-day sessions which will be delivered in various locations around the state to allow for observation and debate on healthcare 
delivery models and public policy. The weekend will be broken into time spent touring and discussing specific healthcare topics with state subject matter experts as well as taking part in leadership modules.
In developing the program, The Wyoming Medical Society is partnering with Leadership Wyoming, The University of Wyoming School of Health and Sciences, WWAMI, and The Wyoming Hospital Association who will join the program’s Advisory Council which will be made up predominantly of Wyoming physicians.
The Wyoming Medical Society has contracted with FutureSync, International, a Montana firm which was key in the development of the Montana Medical Association’s successful physician leadership program. FutureSync, with direction from the program’s Advisory Council, will develop modules to provide physicians with the tools, skills, and learning opportunities to engage effectively to influence the future of healthcare.
The dates and locations for the 2017 Program are:
- Oct. 13-14 (Cody/Powell)
- Nov. 3-4 (Lander)
- December 8-9 (Evanston)
- Jan 26-27 (Laramie)
- Feb. 23-24 (Cheyenne)
- April 27-28 (Casper)
- May 18-19 (Gillette)
Applications are available on the WMS website at www. wyomed.org.
The Physician’s Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations, universities, hospital systems and medical society foundations that support its mission and since 2005, has awarded numerous multi-year grants totaling more than $40 million. The Foundation is committed to identifying how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) impacts physicians and what needs to be re-assessed or changed in order to achieve the following goals:
- To educate physicians on the leadership skills necessary to drive healthcare excellence;
- To understand physician practice trends and help physicians deliver quality care to their patients;
- To meet the current and future needs of all patients by assessing the supply of physicians;
- To provide practicing physicians with resources and support to manage healthcare reform and succeed in today’s challenging healthcare environment.
- While the grant is a two-year grant, the Physician Foundation points out that subsequent funding for this program is contingent upon the submission of satisfactory progress reports that include project activities, outcomes, and a budget.