Bridging Trust Gaps in Healthcare: A Hands-On Workshop for Leaders, Clinicians, and Educators

Professional Development Workshop

Time: 13:00-15:30
Cost: $65
Location: Hilton Prague, Room TBD
Stream: Healthcare Leadership

Please Note: Ticket prices do not include any food or beverage. To keep registration costs accessible, no refreshments or snacks will be provided during the event. We encourage attendees to eat beforehand and bring in their own beverage.

This hands-on, interactive workshop will explore trust gaps in healthcare from multiple perspectives—patients, healthcare providers, and families. Participants will engage in experiential exercises to uncover how trust is built, eroded, and restored within healthcare teams and institutions. By examining real-world scenarios and sharing stories, attendees will leave with actionable strategies to foster trust in their professional environments.

Goals & Objectives:

  • Identify key dimensions of trust and common trust gaps in healthcare.
  • Analyze trust dynamics from the perspectives of patients, providers, and families.
  • Develop strategies to strengthen trust in clinical and organizational settings.
  • Use storytelling and reflection to enhance trust-building skills.

Event Agenda:

First Hour: Understanding & Mapping Trust Gaps

Welcome & Introduction (15 minutes)

  • Brief overview of the ASC-DOC Trust Model (Authenticity, Safety, Consistency, Dependability, Ownership, Competence).
  • Icebreaker: Participants share one word or phrase describing trust in healthcare.

Interactive Exercise: The Trust Gap Mapping Activity (20 minutes)

  • Participants split into three groups (patients, providers, families).
  • Each group discusses real or hypothetical scenarios where trust breaks down (e.g., patient distrust of medical advice, provider burnout leading to distrust of colleagues, family concerns over healthcare decisions).
  • Groups use sticky notes or digital tools to map key trust gaps on a shared framework.

Group Reflections & Discussion (15 minutes)

  • Cross-group sharing: What themes emerged? What are the biggest barriers to trust?
  • Facilitators guide a discussion on how different perspectives perceive and experience trust breakdowns.

Break (10 minutes)

Second Hour: Storytelling & Solutions for Trust Repair

Guided Storytelling: Trust in Action (15 minutes)

  • Participants are prompted to share a short story (real or fictional) illustrating a moment when trust was gained or lost in healthcare.
  • Groups reflect on what contributed to trust success or failure.

Role-Playing & Solution Building (25 minutes)

  • Small groups receive trust gap scenarios and role-play interactions (e.g., a patient questioning a provider’s recommendation, a provider needing to regain a team’s trust after an error).
  • Groups brainstorm and present strategies for rebuilding trust in each scenario.

Final Takeaways & Action Planning (20 minutes)

  • Individual reflection: What is one commitment you will make to build trust in your role?
  • Facilitated discussion on how these strategies can be applied to participants’ workplaces.

Closing remarks & next steps (e.g., continuing the discussion at the ILA conference).

Speakers:

Erin Barry, PhD. Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Military & Emergency Medicine, Department of Health Professions Education, Uniformed Services University

Erin S. Barry is a health professions education researcher who develops and delivers curriculum and education assessments, and conducts research and scholarship related to leadership, followership, and healthcare teams. She contributes to leadership education, development, assessment, scholarship, and online learning. In addition to her appointments listed above, she is a Leadership Coach with certification from the Kansas Leadership Institute and the Innovative Leadership Institute. Dr. Barry earned a B.E. (2006) in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. She earned an M.S. (2008) in Biomedical Engineering from University of Texas at Arlington with a focus on Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery. She completed her PhD (2024) in Health Professions Education focusing on leadership and followership within healthcare teams from Maastricht University in The Netherlands. She has worked at USU since 2010 where her research has focused on traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and leadership. She has co-authored more than 80 papers and chapters as well as the books, “Innovative Leadership for Healthcare” and “Leading Self and Others with Emotional Intelligence.” She is a co-founder of the International Leadership Association’s Healthcare Leadership Community. In addition, she helps to mentor faculty, staff, and students with regard to research activities and is a leadership coach.

MaryJo Burchard, PhD, Founder & Lead Consultant, Concord Leader

Dr. MaryJo Burchard is a leadership coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, and ukulele fan. Belonging-based strategic leadership, humanized big change, and (re)building trust is our focus.

Suzanna Fitzpatrick, CRNP, Infectious Diseases, Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center

Dr. Fitzpatrick began her healthcare journey as a Paramedic, which she has continued doing as a volunteer for the past 20 years. Her educational background includes a B.S. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (2004) in Emergency Health Services, a B.S.N from Villa Julie College (2008), Masters in Nursing in Acute Care (2010), Post-Masters certificate from George Washington University in Family Practice (2013) and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice (2020). Her doctoral work focused on teamwork and collaboration with emergency nurses. She has a passion for mentoring novice Nurse Practitioners in their transition into practice and professional development. She has written articles on teamwork, nursing leadership, and transition shock for novice practitioners. In addition, she is an adjunct professor teaching Doctoral nursing students system and complex leadership theories and practical strategies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Suzanna is a co-founder of the Healthcare Leadership member community of the International Leadership Association.