Bespoke Mediation + Facilitation

Conflict in healthcare is not a sign of dysfunction - it is an intrinsic consequence of constant pressure. While healthy conflict allows teams to process and grow, unhealthy conflict will cause stagnation and failure. High-stakes decisions, moral distress, communication breakdowns, and competing priorities strain even the strongest teams. When conflict remains unaddressed, it will erode trust, performance, and psychological safety. When disagreement extends into resource allocations, contract negotiations, or job expectations, lack of clarity will lead to turnover and reputational damage.

Mediation provides a structured, neutral space to surface concerns, understand perspectives, and rebuild alignment. Directed facilitation strategies are used to separate positions from interests and identify true needs so that individuals and teams can reach consensus and agreement to move forward with confidence.

Why Mediation is a needed service in Healthcare

What makes our Mediation services different: Perspective + Experience

We focus on people. We understand the nuance of clinical practice and administrative responsibility. And we have lived through the consequences of unmitigated conflict.

As a physician-owned practice with decades of clinical and leadership experience, Dr. Foster brings a unique blend of emotional intelligence, trauma-informed communication skills, and operational understanding of healthcare systems. This allows for mediation that is:

• Psychologically safe - grounded in empathy, confidentiality, and respect

• Clinically informed - attuned to the realities of medical culture, hierarchy, and stress

• Action-oriented - focused on sustainable agreements, not temporary ceasefires

• Human-centered - honoring the stories, values, and emotions that shape conflict

1: Individual Mediation

For conflicts between two people - colleagues, partners, supervisors or team members. Focus areas include:

• Communication breakdowns

• Interpersonal tension

• Performance-related conflict

• Misaligned expectations

• Repairing trust after a difficult event

Outcome: A shared understanding, clear agreements, and a path forward that both parties own.

Mediation Services

2: Team Mediation

For groups experiencing friction, fragmentation, or recurring conflict. This service supports:

• Dysfunctional team dynamics

• Role confusion or competing priorities

• Cultural or behavioral concerns

• Conflict affecting patient care or workflow

Outcome: Reestablised norms, improved communication, and a renewed sense of collective purpose.

3: Leadership & Executive Mediation

For leaders navigating high-impact conflict or organizational strain. Common scenarios include:

• Leadership dyad misalignment

• Departmental conflict

• Difficult feedback cycles

• High-stakes decision disagreements

Outcome: Clarity, alignment, and a more resilient leadership partnership.

4: Post-event Mediation

When a sentinel event, adverse outcome, or emotionally-charged incident disrupts relationships, this process helps:

• Address lingering tension

• Rebuild trust

• Support emotional processing

• Prevent long-term relational damage

Outcome: A healthier environment for healing, learning, and moving forward.

What does the Mediation + Facilitation Process look like?

Step 1: Intake & Assessment

A confidential conversation to understand the situation, goals, and readiness for mediation.

Step 2: Individual Conversations

Private sessions with each participant to surface concerns, needs, and desired outcomes.

Step 3: Facilitated Mediation Session

A structured, neutral conversation designed to:

• Clarify perspectives

• Identify shared interests

• Address misunderstandings

• Build agreements

Step 4: Follow-up & Support

Optional coaching or ongoing facilitation to reinforce agreements and maintain momentum.

Frequently-asked Questions

Who are these services designed for?

When should me or my team consider mediation + facilitation?

• Physicians

• Nurses and advanced practice providers

• Administrative leaders

• Clinical teams

• Interdisciplinary groups

• Individuals navigating conflict, burnout, or transitions

Do any of these sound familiar?:

• "We keep having the same argument"

• "We can't move forward without addressing this"

• "Communication has broken down"

• "We need a neutral third party"

• "This conflict is affecting patient care"

• "Turnover is destroying team morale"

If so, bespoke facilitation and/or mediation offered by SMF Facilitation Services, may be the right next step.

In healthcare, pressure points don’t wait for the perfect moment. When conflict escalates, leadership fractures, or careers hang in the balance, emergent mediation and facilitation offer a structured, neutral path forward—before formal complaints, investigations, or legal action become inevitable.