Barlow/McCarthy Blog
Check back often to hear from our talented team of consultants. Topics covered include: Physician Relations, Physician Recruitment, Practice Marketing, Medical Staff Development, Community Health Needs Assessments, etc.
Leading Change From the Middle: Turning Ideas Into Momentum
By: Allison McCarthy, MBA | amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com Leading change without direct authority is one of the most common, and most misunderstood, challenges in healthcare today. Strong ideas are important, but they rarely move forward on passion alone. What makes...
Access Is the Priority – So Why Are Referral Strategies Still Stuck in the Past?
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com Health system leaders are being asked to show clearer returns on growth investments heading into 2026. In increasingly competitive markets, the ability to manage referrals effectively, not just generate them, is becoming...
Leading from the Middle: The Power of Presence Under Pressure
By: Allison McCarthy, MBA | amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com Mid-level leaders are the glue that holds organizations together. They translate strategy into action, manage teams through change, and support executive leaders with insight from the frontlines. But it’s in the...
Leading from the Middle: Five Habits That Build Leadership Presence in High-Stakes Moments
By: Allison McCarthy, MBA | amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com Picture this: you walk into a meeting where a major decision is on the table. The stakes are high, the room is tense, and every word you say will shape how others perceive you. In these moments, mid-level...
Leading from the Middle: How to Gain Senior Leader Buy-In Without Waiting for a Title
By: Allison McCarthy, MBA | amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com One of the most common frustrations mid-level leaders share with me is this: “I know what needs to be done, but I can’t get leadership to take it seriously.” It is tempting to believe that once you have a bigger...
Effective Patterns vs Ruts. Are You Stuck?
Kriss Barlow RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com Field staff have such an “always on” role. There is internal scrutiny coupled with the need to impress discerning referring physicians, and just getting to them is a whole different discussion! It’s easy to fall into...
Leading from the Middle: A Case Study
By: Allison McCarthy, MBA | amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com My client had served as a Senior Director of Ambulatory Operations for a large health system. Sitting squarely in the middle of leadership, this leader was responsible for bridging strategy from the top,...
The Power of the Middle: Turning Position into Influence
By: Allison McCarthy, MBA | amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com Mid level leaders are in a unique position. You sit close enough to the front lines to see real challenges unfold, but you’re also connected upward enough to understand what leaders expect. This vantage point...
When Your Interview Process is Stuck in 2005 (And Why That’s Costing You Great Physicians)
By: Mitzi Kent | mkent@barlowmccarthy.com The physician sitting across from you has an impressive resume. Top medical school, strong residency, excellent references. You ask about their clinical experience, review their credentials, and check all the traditional...
The Art of the First Impression: Making Every Physician Interaction Count
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com Think back to the last time you met someone new. Maybe it was a neighbor, a new colleague, or even the person seated next to you on a plane. Chances are, within the first few minutes, you had already formed an...