Catalyst Groups

Catalyzing positive change so patient–physician relationships can flourish

⚠️ Version 3.0 – Drafted 5/20/25 (needs confirmation)

Medicine Forward’s Catalyst Groups (CG) are a novel hybrid organizational structure designed to foster collaboration, decentralization, and adaptability. Built on the principles of shared purpose, rapid experimentation, and cross-functional alignment, Catalyst Groups serve as flexible containers for meaningful work that advances Medicine Forward’s mission in a complex and evolving healthcare environment.

When forming a Catalyst Group or making group decisions, consider the following guiding questions:

Is it good enough for now, safe enough to try?

Will the decision cause irreparable harm to Medicine Forward?

If uncertain, consult a member of Medicine Forward leadership.

Are you building relationships and bridges across the organization?

Are you approaching this work as an evolving, adaptive, and living system?


Goto: Current Groups

1. Alignment

Mission: Catalyzing positive change so patient–physician relationships can flourish.

Vision: 10 million people activated by 2035 to help patients and physicians flourish together.

Principles:

- We put the sacred patient–physician relationship first.
- We build on a foundation of wellbeing and trust.
- We bring physicians, patients, and collaborators together.
- We claim our power as change agents to accelerate transformation.

Catalyst Group activities are fundamental to Medicine Forward’s mission and vision.

2. Create Autonomous Catalyst Groups

These groups are containers for organizing around a shared purpose.

Group Size and Composition: Form small, cross-functional groups (ideally 3–5 members, maximum 7) aligned by shared passion and purpose. Any Medicine Forward member may initiate a group.

Decision-Making: Groups may make decisions within their defined domains.

Formal decision-making guidelines are in development. (Link to be added when finalized.)

Lead Catalyst: Each group identifies a Lead Catalyst (this role may rotate) to support the group’s success and serve as a communication bridge across groups.

Purpose-Driven and Momentum-Based: Groups should form around ideas that already have energy and traction. Accelerate what’s already burning.

Group Definition: A Catalyst Group must have a clearly defined purpose—a capacity, potential, or goal the group seeks to express or achieve.

3. Foster Inter-Group Collaboration

Liaison Roles: Designate members to serve as liaisons with other groups and with the Executive Team to share updates on purpose, progress, members, and needs.

Open Communication Channels: Use shared platforms such as Mighty Networks and Slack for transparency and alignment. The Medicine Forward Substack may be used to highlight initiatives, share wins, and announce opportunities. Push important shared knowledge to the wiki.

4. Encourage Knowledge Sharing

Regular Updates: Conduct brief and frequent progress updates across groups.

Shared Resources: Maintain a centralized, evolving library of templates, tools, and documentation.

Current platforms: Google Docs, Mighty Networks, MediaWiki
Under consideration: GlassFrog

Post-Project Reviews: Capture lessons learned through retrospectives to support continuous learning and improvement.

5. Build a Culture of Trust and Accountability

Transparency and Openness: Celebrate successes and speak honestly about challenges.

Shared Metrics (when appropriate): Track outcomes that reflect both group and organizational impact.

Mutual Support Ethos: Groups are encouraged to support one another, reinforcing the broader community of practice.

6. Continuously Adapt and Iterate

Feedback Loops: Collect regular input from group members to refine structure and processes.

Test-and-Learn Approach: Encourage experimentation with group composition, workflows, and rhythms.

- Be intentional about the lifecycle of groups, including purpose reviews and project timelines.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Assess the effectiveness of the Catalyst Group model and adapt in response to organizational growth and learning.

7. Current Groups


Group	Why	Who	When	Where	Public/Private	Contact Info
501c3 Board	Governance & Leadership	Todd Otten, MaryAnn Wilbur, Gabe Charbonneau	Triannual	Zoom	Private	https://medicineforward.org/contact-2
Executive Team	Operations	Christopher Behringer, Jeff Cohn, Todd Otten, MaryAnn Wilbur	Biweekly	Zoom, Slack	Private	Mighty Networks
Newsletter Team	Substack newsletter	Nimra Savanghan, Emee Vida Estacio, Jeff Cohn	Monthly	Zoom, Email	Private	https://substack.com/@medicineforward
Intern Team	Intern programs, Rising Star	Brontë Guinn - De la Rosa, Julia Selmani, Saleemah Shazeem, Sanjana Sivakumar, Sharmeen Sattar, Sophia LaRose, Sujanaa Raghavan, Sumukh Chanda	Weekly	Zoom, Slack, Notion	Private	Mighty Networks
Community Ambassadors	Welcome & plug-in new members. Community engagement.	Kim Downey, Gabe Charbonneau	Ad hoc	Zoom	Private	Mighty Networks
Coaches	MF coaching program	Jeff Cohn, Dawn Ellison, Chris Yee	Ad hoc	Zoom	Private	Mighty Networks
Next Gen Fellows	Community of support, agency, and well-being for medical trainees	Jordyn Feingold, Meher Kalkat, Carly Kaplan, Julie Scholes, Michael Foti	Ad hoc	Zoom, GroupMe	Private	Mighty Networks
Healthcare Reinvention Collaborative (HRC)	Build and nurture wide bridges with HRC and its network of healthcare change agents	Denise Wiseman, Gabe Charbonneau	Quarterly, Ad hoc	Zoom	Private	Mighty Networks
Documentary Team	Documentary production	Todd Otten, MaryAnn Wilbur, Nimra Savanghan	Daily	All platforms	Private	https://suckitupbuttercupfilm.com/
Digital Content Team	Content production for social media	Emee Vida Estacio, Nimra Savanghan	Ad hoc	Email	Private	https://substack.com/@medicineforward https://www.linkedin.com/company/medicineforward/