National Physician Suicide Awareness Day

National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, observed annually on September 17th, is an important reminder and call to action to understand the underlying barriers to mental health care for physicians and create open dialogue that can help those in distress seek the care they need. The Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) is committed to addressing this crisis and taking proactive steps to support our healers.

Explore the valuable suicide prevention resources below, whether you are a physician yourself or concerned about a colleague or loved one.

Preventing Physician Suicide: Identify and Support At-Risk Physicians Toolkit

The American Medical Association created a toolkit to help identify risk factors and warning signs for suicide among physicians. It outlines how to build an environment of support in a medical practice and simplify the process of receiving support. Dr. Chris Bundy, Executive Medical Director of WPHP, contributed his expertise to the toolkit.

The four steps to identify and support at-risk physicians are:

1. Identify suicide risk factors and warning signs
2. Promote care-seeking behaviors
3. Train a physician advocate
4. Make it easy to get help

View toolkit to learn more

Vital Signs: The Campaign to Prevent Physician Suicide

The Physicians Foundation and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation developed a seven-step action plan to help reduce physician burnout and ensure physicians’ struggles don’t become mental health emergencies. The seven actions include:

1. Learn the vital signs
2. Encourage mental health reflection
3. Share suicide prevention resources
4. Prepare before a moment in crisis
5. Check in with a physician
6. Remove intrusive mental health questions
7. Create a culture of wellbeing

View action plan to learn more

Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP) Physician Suicide Prevention Resources

FSPHP has compiled relevant articles, publications, videos, and resources to support the prevention of physician suicide and assist with educational outreach.

View resources

The Role of Physician Health Programs in Suicide Prevention Webinar

This webinar recognizes the mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers, discusses the effectiveness of physician health programs in reducing suicide risk and improving the wellbeing of physicians, and shares high-impact prevention strategies and responsible communication guidelines when discussing suicide in healthcare settings.

Dr. Chris Bundy, Chief Medical Officer of FSPHP and Executive Medical Director of WPHP, Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, Chief Medical Officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Dr. Michael Baron, President of FSPHP and Medical Director of the Tennessee Medical Foundation, lead this important discussion.

View webinar

What is WPHP Doing About Physician Suicide?

This article featured in the Washington Medical Commission’s quarterly newsletter details WPHP’s ongoing work to address physician suicide through suicide risk assessment and management protocols, education, and advocacy.

Read article

Fostering a Resilient and Thriving Healthcare Workforce

The Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) has been dedicated to supporting healthcare professionals for over 35 years. Recently, WPHP updated its mission statement to better reflect its purpose as Washington’s trusted resource for restoring the health of medical professionals. Our confidential support and exceptional outcomes provide reassurance of safe practice and promote workforce sustainability.

Confidential Help, Reassurance of Safe Practice

WPHP assists healthcare professionals with any health condition that may affect safe clinical practice. We offer early intervention, assessment, treatment referral, and post-treatment health support for those in the medical field workforce with conditions that may negatively impact practice performance. In some cases, brief assessment and referral to services are all that is needed to support health and put concerns at rest. In other cases, more help is needed and WPHP is ready to assist. We serve osteopathic physicians, allopathic physicians, podiatric physicians, physician assistants, dentists, veterinarians, and students and residents in these fields.

WPHP’s Key Outcomes

WPHP consistently receives high ratings for program service and satisfaction from both participants and stakeholders. Approximately 85-90% of participants receiving WPHP services do so without any knowledge or involvement of their licensing boards. Notably, 91% of program participants report needing and benefiting from WPHP advocacy. At program completion, 83% of participants are working in their field and nearly 90% of colleagues report that WPHP is a valuable resource to the medical community.

WPHP participants also report significantly lower burnout rates than the national average. Approximately 85% of WPHP’s program participants are in full remission of their health condition at discharge. Twelve- and sixty-month abstinence rates for WPHP participants with substance use disorders are at 92% and 87% respectively.

Suicide Awareness and Prevention

WPHP considers physician suicide awareness and prevention an important priority – one in which we are leading efforts at state and national levels. Through our education and outreach mission, WPHP strives to provide accurate information about physician suicide as well as resources to support physicians, physician assistants, veterinarians, and dentists with health conditions that are associated with suicide.

Advocacy and Credentialing Reform

Beyond health support, WPHP is also active in advocating for license and credentialing question reforms and preserving WPHP protections in the public records act.

Through these initiatives, WPHP is contributing to the promotion of long-term wellness and success of healthcare professionals which promotes workforce sustainability.

Read the full article in the Washington Medical Commission Update

Suicide Prevention Training for Veterinary Professionals

The University of Washington has launched a free three-part course aimed at suicide prevention strategies for veterinary professionals. Our very own Associate Medical Director, Dr. Laura Moss, has invested extensive effort to help develop this comprehensive course. The modules cover a range of topics, including understanding suicide, supporting at-risk individuals, promoting wellness, reducing stigma, and addressing access to lethal means. By completing this course, veterinary professionals gain valuable knowledge on how to promote well-being and create a supportive environment within their field.

Learn more about this free course.

Free suicide prevention webinar with CME offered by FSPHP!

Federation of State Physician Health Programs is offering a free on-demand webinar, Physician Suicide Prevention: Listening to the Voices of Experience.