I help healthcare professionals gain insight to navigate challenges, make strategic decisions, and lead more effectively.

As a physician, former senior healthcare executive, and now executive coach, I bring firsthand leadership experience and a deep understanding of the challenges physicians face.
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One-on-one coaching offers a confidential place to step back, make sense of complex professional situations, see your options more clearly, and determine how to move forward.

ICF Associate Certified Coach

Advanced Certified Professional & Executive Coach

Not every professional challenge has the same cause—or the same solution.

Sometimes the solution involves developing a new skill or changing how you approach a situation. Sometimes the challenge lies in a relationship, an unclear role, competing expectations, or the organization itself. Often, several factors are at play.

Before deciding what to do next, we work to understand what is actually happening.

Each coaching engagement is designed around your situation.
Together we clarify the dynamics at play, identify what matters most, and determine practical next steps.

Coaching may be helpful when...

* You have stepped into a new or more visible role.
* You are uncertain whether the challenge lies in your approach, the environment, or both.
* You are trying to influence a decision or move an initiative forward.
* You are dealing with a difficult colleague, supervisor, or stakeholder.
* You are carrying competing responsibilities and are unsure what to prioritize.
* You are considering an important career or leadership decision.

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Coaching for Healthcare Professionals

I work primarily with physicians, as well as other healthcare professionals. Some hold formal leadership positions. Others are taking on greater responsibility, navigating complex relationships or institutional dynamics, reconsidering their direction, or recognizing that the strategies that brought them this far are no longer enough. Healthcare professionals do not need a formal leadership title to benefit from becoming more intentional and strategic about the challenges they face.

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About MIchelle richard, md

A Coach Who Understands Healthcare From the Inside

I'm a physician, former hospital leader, educator, and now an executive coach. Before becoming a coach, I practiced infectious disease medicine, conducted HIV-prevention research, and served as Chief of Medicine and Chief of Quality. These experiences gave me a firsthand understanding of both the demands placed on healthcare professionals and the complex organizations in which they work.

I've also navigated significant personal and professional challenges that have shaped my perspective on life and leadership. These experiences have given me wisdom, resilience, and a deeper appreciation for what really matters. As a physician and parent, I understand the competing demands healthcare professionals often face. I bring these perspectives together in my coaching, helping clients better understand themselves, their circumstances, and their potential.

During my own transition into hospital leadership, I worked with an executive coach for more than a year. That experience helped me become a more thoughtful and effective leader and eventually inspired me to pursue coaching myself. Today, I teach leadership and change management at Boston College and coach primarily physicians and other healthcare professionals, helping them gain insight, navigate challenges, and lead more strategically and effectively.

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Let's talk

Whether you're considering coaching for yourself or for someone in your organization, an initial conversation gives us a chance to discuss what you're hoping to accomplish and explore whether coaching might be helpful.

There's no fee or obligation. It's simply an opportunity to connect and consider next steps.
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A conversation

Services

Coaching Engagements

I work with healthcare organizations to support professionals stepping into new leadership roles and help established leaders identify and overcome challenges that limit their effectivenes.

I also work directly with individuals who are navigating difficult professional situations, considering career decisions, or seeking to become more intentional and strategic in their professional lives.

We begin with a complimentary, no-obligation conversation to discuss your goals and explore whether coaching would be helpful. If we decide to work together, engagements typically last three to six months, with sessions scheduled every two weeks or monthly, depending on your needs.

For organizational coaching engagements, I often conduct confidential interviews with supervisors, colleagues, and other key stakeholders. These conversations provide valuable perspectives on a leader's strengths, how they are perceived by others, and opportunities for greater effectiveness. We use these insights to identify meaningful development goals and guide our work together.

I work from both Rhode Island and Florida. Coaching conversations are available by video conference, with in-person meetings possible in either location.

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