Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: In-Depth Conversation with Dr. William Cooper
Episode Title: Dr. William Cooper, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy and President of the Vanderbilt Health Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy (CPPA)
Release Date: July 27, 2025
Host: Scott Becker
Guest: Dr. William Cooper
Duration: 12 minutes and 28 seconds
1. Introduction to Dr. William Cooper and Vanderbilt University Medical Center
In this episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast, host Scott Becker welcomes Dr. William Cooper, a distinguished pediatrician with a remarkable 28 to 30-year tenure at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Cooper currently holds multiple roles, including the President of the Vanderbilt Health Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy (CPPA) and interim Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics.
Key Points:
- Dr. Cooper's extensive career at Vanderbilt.
- His roles and responsibilities within the medical center.
Notable Quote:
“I'm a pediatrician, so I take care of children here at the Monroe Carroll Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. And that sort of platform as a clinician has given me insight into a lot of the leadership roles I've had at Vanderbilt.”
— Dr. William Cooper (00:44)
2. Mission and Impact of the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy
Dr. Cooper delves into the core mission of the CPPA, emphasizing the center's dedication to making medicine "kinder, safer, and more reliable." Initially focused on medical malpractice, the center discovered that a small percentage of healthcare professionals were responsible for a disproportionate number of challenges within healthcare organizations, particularly regarding unprofessional behaviors.
Key Points:
- Identification of 1-3% of healthcare professionals causing 50% of organizational challenges.
- Focus on unprofessional behaviors towards patients and coworkers.
- Connection between unprofessionalism and increased malpractice risk.
Notable Quote:
“Those same individuals account for a lot of an organization's malpractice risk. For physicians, it's about 50 to 70%, accounted for by 2 to 3% of docs who behave unprofessionally towards patients or coworkers.”
— Dr. William Cooper (01:19)
3. Addressing High-Risk Behaviors Through Intervention
The CPPA employs an intervention model centered on peer feedback to address unprofessional behaviors. By comparing individuals' behaviors to their peers, healthcare professionals can self-regulate, leading to significant reductions in problematic behaviors.
Key Points:
- Utilization of peer feedback for self-regulation.
- Application across various healthcare roles, including physicians, nurses, and medical assistants.
- High success rate (85-90%) in mitigating unprofessional behaviors.
Notable Quote:
“When we provide those comparisons, those individuals who are healthcare professionals can self-regulate and about 85 to 90% of the time we can turn them around and drop their risk of subsequent unprofessional behaviors.”
— Dr. William Cooper (02:55)
4. Identifying and Improving High-Risk Individuals
Dr. Cooper explains the process of identifying high-risk individuals by analyzing data from a network of 300 hospitals. Once identified, peers and leaders are trained to approach these individuals constructively.
Key Points:
- National collaborative of 300 hospitals sharing professionalism data.
- Training peers and leaders to initiate conversations about unprofessional behavior.
- Encouraging self-reflection and adjustment through constructive feedback.
Notable Quote:
“What happens is the self regulation that follows is very similar to self regulation that occurs for clinicians. ... So I adjust my practice, and that's what we think is operating here.”
— Dr. William Cooper (04:47)
5. Navigating Defensive Responses and Effective Communication
Addressing unprofessional behavior often encounters defensiveness. Dr. Cooper emphasizes the importance of training peer messengers to navigate these reactions by acknowledging emotions and redirecting the conversation towards positive change.
Key Points:
- Natural defensiveness in receiving critical feedback.
- Training to acknowledge feelings and focus on potential behavioral changes.
- Importance of empathy and non-confrontational approaches.
Notable Quote:
“If I can come in and just sort of attack you in that way, you're not going to self regulate, you're going to be mad at me.”
— Dr. William Cooper (06:08)
6. The Role of Peer Messengers and Leadership Qualities
Effective peer messengers are crucial for the success of the intervention model. Dr. Cooper outlines the qualities that make a good peer messenger, including respect, empathy, and the ability to relate to the recipient's clinical environment.
Key Points:
- Selection of respected peers as messengers.
- Importance of empathy and relatable clinical experience.
- High effectiveness of peer messenger interventions, achieving a 90% response rate.
Notable Quote:
“We're after is to give them a chance to hear the message and then to reflect. And what's really striking is it happened. It's so effective.”
— Dr. William Cooper (07:20)
7. Maintaining Motivation and Passion in a Long-Term Career
Dr. Cooper shares his personal strategies for staying motivated and passionate after nearly three decades at Vanderbilt. He emphasizes the importance of identifying and pursuing one's passion, particularly in helping vulnerable populations.
Key Points:
- Focusing daily on actions that help vulnerable individuals.
- Aligning professional activities with core passions.
- Reducing daily work ambivalence by prioritizing meaningful tasks.
Notable Quote:
“What we're after is to give them a chance to hear the message and, and then to reflect. And what's really striking is it happened. It's so effective.”
— Dr. William Cooper (09:42)
8. Advice for Emerging Leaders in Healthcare
Offering guidance to aspiring leaders, Dr. Cooper advises aligning one's professional activities with personal passions. He underscores the significance of supporting vulnerable populations and integrating this focus into all facets of one's career.
Key Points:
- Identifying and pursuing individual passions.
- Aligning daily tasks with overarching goals to support vulnerable groups.
- Importance of versatility and intentionality in various professional roles.
Notable Quote:
“Everybody has their own passion. Mine happens to be because as a pediatrician, children are so vulnerable so early.”
— Dr. William Cooper (10:17)
9. Balancing Multiple Roles and Staying Aligned
Managing multiple responsibilities requires intentional alignment with core passions. Dr. Cooper utilizes a passion statement displayed prominently to keep his daily activities aligned with his mission of supporting vulnerable individuals.
Key Points:
- Use of a passion statement as a daily reminder.
- Prioritizing tasks that align with personal and professional goals.
- Mitigating the overwhelm of a busy to-do list by focusing on meaningful activities.
Notable Quote:
“If I can make sure that at least one of those, and I try to put it up on my sort of priority list aligns with that, it just sort of helps the rest of it feel less mundane.”
— Dr. William Cooper (11:22)
10. Closing Remarks
Scott Becker wraps up the conversation, expressing appreciation for the invaluable insights shared by Dr. Cooper. The discussion highlights Dr. Cooper's dedication to improving professionalism within healthcare and his inspiring approach to leadership and personal motivation.
Notable Quote:
“What a great education and inspiration for me. I'm sure it will be for our audience as well.”
— Scott Becker (12:09)
Conclusion:
This episode provides a comprehensive look into Dr. William Cooper's impactful work at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, particularly through the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy. Dr. Cooper's strategies for addressing unprofessional behavior, fostering a supportive healthcare environment, and maintaining personal motivation offer valuable lessons for healthcare professionals and emerging leaders alike.