Barriers to Recovery for Medical Professionals: Assessing Financial Support through a Survey of Physician Health Programs

Physician burnout, psychiatric problems, and substance use disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent. However, the costs of recovery for physicians enrolled in Physician Health Programs (PHPs) remain unexamined. This survey study published in The American Journal on Addictions recent article sheds light on the financial strain on physicians, especially those in training, and highlights resources for financial assistance such as fee deferrals and sliding scale fees. It’s crucial that access to PHPs is available, destigmatized, and affordable for all physicians.

WPHP Advocates For Participants

WPHP works to protect and enhance the confidentiality of our participants. We’ve compiled a list to highlight some of the hard work we’ve done over the past year.

Recently, Dr. Bundy interviewed with InvestigateTV to explain how confidentiality for physicians translates to safer care for patients.

A few weeks ago, in partnership with the Washington State Medical Association and the Washington Medical Commission, WPHP was successful in preserving an important protection for participant confidentiality in the public records act. 

WPHP introduced legislation in 2022 that adds enhanced confidentiality protections for program participants. SSB 5496 passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

In November 2021, WPHP worked closely with the Washington Medical Commission to remove licensure questions about health history, replacing them with an advisory that points to WPHP. The amended application only asks about current impairing or potentially impairing substance use that is not known to WPHP.

July Issue of Journal of Medical Regulation feature

July Issue of Journal of Medical Regulation features Dr. Christopher Bundy and Dr. Betsy Williams.

Register for FSMB’s Annual Meeting!

Register now to attend FSMB’s Annual meeting! Dr. Bundy will be featured as a panelist on New Perspectives on Physician Impairment.  

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Crisis Resources for Health Care Workers

WPHP recently compiled a list of local, regional, and national resources for crisis prevention and response for health care workers.  

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COVID-19 has made it more important than ever to address barriers to mental health treatment for physicians

This AAMC article highlights how licensing concerns and stigma may be discouraging physicians from seeking needed mental health treatment amidst the strains of the pandemic.    

In 2018, WPHP successfully collaborated with the Washington Medical Commission to reform the questions on the Washington Medical Licensing initial and renewal applications.  Since then, questions regarding health and substance use only ask about current impairment (rather than past history, diagnoses, or treatment) and allow physicians known to WPHP to answer “no” to its question about current medical conditions.  

Countless Washington physicians have benefitted from these changes and expressed to us their deep gratitude to live and work in a state that supports doctors confidentially getting the help they need and deserve. 

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Sleep deprivation is the socially accepted form of impairment that is hiding in plain sight in medicine.

A recent study published in JAMA links sleep-related impairment, to physician burnout and medical errors. Findings confirm that physician performance is not immune to the negative effects of sleep deprivation and suggest that “interventions to mitigate sleep-related impairment in physicians are warranted.” 

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