To promote change , to invest in innovation and to make an impact , a leader in medicine should lead with recently developed ideas while setting goals . Focus should be on what can be accomplished and not on what might not be accomplished . As I was musing on physician leadership , I returned to an event that recently honored Dr . Jason Smith , a trauma surgeon and Chief Medical Officer at University of Louisville Health , who holds a Physician MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business . He also serves as a professor of surgery and physiology at the University of Louisville .

Dr . Smith was awarded the Cox Leadership Award from the Kelley School of the Physician MBA Program for demonstrating impact in driving effective changes in the health care industry and for showing leadership initiative , outstanding career progression and extraordinary achievements .

From an entry on the Kelley website , they said the following about Dr . Smith : “ Trauma surgeons are accustomed to managing emergencies and leading teams through difficult situations . Especially when they ’ re experienced in leading an entire system as chief medical officer . Sometimes that leadership involves speaking up about uncomfortable truths .”

Dr . Aneeta Bhatia , Professor of Anesthesiology and physician executive at UofL Health , knows Dr . Smith and has had an opportunity to work with him . Dr . Bhatia offers her perspective :

“ Dr . Smith is very deserving of the Anthony Cox Leadership Award from the Kelley School of Business . Since transitioning into his executive role as Chief Medical Officer , he has demonstrated strategic thinking and relationship building to promote growth of the organization . He has empowered others to be goal oriented to impact change . He consistently embodies empathy and enthusiasm and has navigated through several challenges during his tenure . One of the greatest challenges he faced as a leader was during the COVID-19 pandemic . As a trauma surgeon , he led the pandemic response from the frontlines . He spent countless hours educating himself about the coronavirus and conducting information sharing sessions . Dr . Smith communicated clearly and effectively to maintain the safety and morale of his staff members as he became the voice of trust as fear and panic gripped the nation . He created vaccination camps and drive thru COVID testing sites . In yet another moment of crisis during the Old National Bank gun violence that stunned the city , Dr . Smith and his team managed victims of the gun violence professionally and with empathy . Crisis management had prepared him to be calm and professional in the wake of constant and horrific violence-related trauma . In the aftermath of the tragic shooting , in an emotional , heart-breaking speech , Dr . Smith appealed to the public and policy makers about the magnitude of the tragedy and futility of gun violence . As a leader , he utilized the triangle of Ethos , Pathos and Logos in his emotional plea and created a bond with the community and law enforcement . Dr . Smith has also been instrumental in improving quality , efficiency and consumer experience at the University of Louisville Hospitals as evidenced by a jump in Leapfrog and Press Ganey scores . He

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