Dr. Jeff Branch joined PCOM’s Psychology faculty as an adjunct professor in the Organizational Development and Leadership (ODL) graduate program in September 2005 and transitioned to Assistant Professor and Program Director as of July 2012. He received his doctorate in education leadership from Widener University, a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Philadelphia Biblical University, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from La Salle University.
Dr. Branch is a member of NTL Institute of Applied Behavioral Sciences and the International Organization Development Network (ODN), where he served as a Chair of a special project for the Strategic Planning Implementation Team. He also served as a member of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). His community service and social justice commitment includes volunteerism and pro-bono consulting work with not-for-profit organizations.
Dr. Branch has over twenty years of experience advising corporations and not for-profit organizations on strategic business issues. He practices as an executive coach, organization development and effectiveness consultant, and adult education practitioner utilizing inquiry, dialogue and whole systems thinking to help organizations achieve and sustain high performance. A major facet of his research and teaching practice includes the intentional design and engagement of mentoring and coaching practices as a multi-dimensional curricular and co-curricular teaching and learning strategy to promote practitioner development. Dr. Branch currently teaches three courses in the ODL curriculum: 1) Foundations of Organization Development and Systems; 2) Leadership for Practitioners; and, 3) Action Research in Organization Development and Leadership. In his role as faculty, he focuses on integrating theory into the practice of organization development and leadership by designing and facilitating a highly synergized experiential action learning curriculum where the adult learners/leaders work on real issues impacting the health and performance of their organizations. As an outcome, the leaders are charged with designing and implementing interventions that enhance individual and organizational performance.
Dr. Branch’s past leadership experience includes serving in a senior leadership capacity as Sr. Director for Organization Development and Competency Systems with a Philadelphia regional healthcare system. His role included the design, implementation and facilitation of an action learning curriculum engaging the clinical and non-clinical leadership groups within the system. One of Dr. Branch’s key initiatives included the design, facilitation and integration of Diversity and Inclusion learning modules for all levels of leadership and clinical and non-clinical professionals. The purpose was to raise awareness and align behavioral and engagement practices with the institution’s mission as they delivered healthcare to a rapidly changing patient and professional staff demographic. To help facilitate his own immersion experience into the work of diversity and inclusion, Jeff joined the Global Citizens Network in 2006. This organization focuses on preserving the culture of indigenous peoples across the world. His initial experience included weeks of volunteer work with Native-American peoples in the Northwest, United States and subsequent travel to Latin American countries. He expects to continue the work globally with anticipated trips to Africa, South America and Israel.
The integration of his senior leadership and higher education practice in healthcare has stimulated Dr. Branch’s current research interests including investigating support and funding of an initiative focused on physicians as de facto team leaders in a collaborative care model with other health care providers and the impact it has on physician satisfaction, nurse satisfaction and patient satisfaction.
