Strategic planning with family physicians: a case study.

Family physicians at Sunnybrook Medical Centre were engaged in a strategic planning process to develop a practice philosophy, mission statement, short-term goals, and plan for future programming. Numerous issues were identified in relation to the need for planning, the successful involvement of family physicians in the planning process, and the traditional relationship between physicians and managers which, in the past, has inhibited productive collaboration. Strategies were developed to overcome potential obstacles in these areas, and suggestions are outlined for administrators wishing to involve physicians more fully in the planning process.