LEARNING TO LEAD

Nick Lawyer was born at Clark Fork Valley Hospital, and 43 years later, he is stepping into a leadership role for the community medical facility.

Lawyer will take over as chief of staff for the medical staff at CFVH in 2025.

Lawyer recently completed the Healthcare Excellence in Leadership Program (HELP) through the Montana Medical Association, gaining valuable leadership skills that he is excited to use in his new position.

"It's billed as a leadership development course for medical leaders, to improve leadership skill on a mission vision value," Lawyer said of the 10-month program. "It was an exploration of what's important to you and how you achieve goals."

Lawyer said there was a lot of self discovery in the program, learning everything from how to be a good listener, conflict management, advocating at the legislature and how to lead hospitals and clinics. Lawyer, a Certified Physician Assistant who has been with CFVH for 11 years, was the only PA in the cohort of 10 medical leaders; the rest were physicians from across the state. Dr. Jessica Valentine from CFVH completed the program two years ago, and Dr. Jeanne Williams has also gone through the HELP program. "As a PA, to be admitted to this program is very humbling. It was humbling and scary, in a good way. I sought out the program to really try and be a good leader," said Lawyer, who will be the first non-physician chief of staff at CFVH.

Dr. Gregory Hanson, President and CEO of CFVH, said he looks forward to working closely with Lawyer as the chief of staff the next two years. "Nick has deep roots in this community, and it has been a pleasure to see the increasing role he has taken at CFVH," Dr. Hanson said.

MMA's 2024 HELP class started in February. The group of 10 medical leaders got together for eight intense weekends over the 10 months, had regular meetings and studied other resources throughout the program.The weekend sessions involved lectures and workshops on topics from resilience and emotional intelligence to listening and conflict management. There were also field trips to places like the legislature in Helena, the Flathead Lake Biological Station and the Touro medical school in Great Falls.

"My hope is that this program and the totality of my other leadership programs helps me help the staff at Clark Fork Valley Hospital have a clear shared vision, mission, culture, roles, goals and values," he stated after the program was complete. "This program provided a structure in which I can understand my own strengths and weaknesses and get an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of others."

Lawyer said that his leadership at the hospital has been evolving and changing. He was born at the hospital, and his mother worked there. "We have a really amazing place. I've been blessed with the opportunity to travel around the world and the U.S. and there's nowhere else I want to be," he stated.

Lawyer said part of what makes CFVH so awesome is that it is independently operated. "When you talk about stepping into a leadership role, you think about how we preserve those traits and still help the hospital get better, improve and strengthen," he explained. "The hospital is part of that fabric of our community."

Dr. Hanson expressed his appreciation for the HELP program. "I am excited to see the growth of our providers' leadership skills and I believe it will serve CFVH and Sanders COunty well as we continue to meet our mission of serving its residents," he stated.

CFVH is one of 50 critical access hospitals in the state, according to Rural Health Information. Critical access hospitals are defined as rural hospitals that provide essential services. Lawyer stated that the hospital has open and positive relationships with the bigger hospitals in the state, and he said CFVH "is incredibly well managed. We have a dedicated leadership team and a dedicated medical staff."

Lawyer said the biggest lesson he took away from the HELP program is the same thing COVID taught him: "It's not about me." He said he's excited for his new role at the hospital.

"When it comes to Clark Fork Valley Hospital, we have a clear shared vision that our job is quality care close to home," Lawyer said. "We are in the top tier in terms of hospitals our size across the country in terms of the quality of care we provide. That carries with it incredible responsibility."

According to the MMA website, HELP is designed to enhance the leadership skills of healthcare providers, to help them play a bigger role in their practices and hospitals and to attain the knowledge and opportunities needed to influence Montana healthcare policy. Providers who attend this top-shelf program walk away with practical and action-oriented skills to effectively lead in their practice or healthcare organization.

"It's the best leadership training I've been to," Lawyer said of the HELP program, adding that he hopes other CFVH team members will go through the program. Lawyer is also a coach and led the Blue Hawk girls soccer team in their inaugural season this fall. The HELP program helped him in that part of his life as well. "As a coach, it helps me listen better and helps me do a better job of bringing a diverse group of players together for a shared vision."

Over 165 physicians and other healthcare providers have participated in the leadership program's first eight years. Past participants have accepted top leadership roles in Montana healthcare institutions and received multiple industry awards, including the MMA's Legacy of Leadership Award.

Lawyer said he wishes the hospital could provide additional services such as cardiac rehab, comprehensive obesity management and chemotherapy care, and he'd like to strengthen the substance use treatment offered at CFVH, but he is proud of the hospital that he has been at for more than a decade. "We're already awesome," he noted. "I hope people realize that Clark Fork Valley Hospital isn't just focused on keeping the lights on. We're focused on continuing the outstanding care that we give and developing the next generation of leaders to keep our independence alive."