By Robin Gallardi, DDS, MS, FRCDC, Dip ABOMS

In the last decade, leadership styles have switched from a top-down approach to one of individual empowerment. We are all familiar with empowerment as it applies to self-help and self-development. Today, however, empowerment is more about creating an environment where leaders, staff, employees, and in our case, patients feel engaged. Engagement leads to feeling valued and this in turn leads to a motivational mindset. Healthcare empowerment is unique in that the desired outcome are patients who are informed, educated, and actively participating in their own healthcare decisions.