Strengthening Workforce Resilience and Patient Care Through Support for Health Professionals

For more than 35 years, the Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) has been Washington’s trusted resource for restoring the health of medical professionals. Our program is designed to provide confidential, therapeutic support for health professionals facing mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and other medical conditions that could adversely impact safe practice. 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.

In the latest edition of the Washington Medical Commission’s newsletter, Dr. Chris Bundy, Executive Medical Director of WPHP, illustrates how WPHP and Physician Health Programs contribute to a stronger and safer healthcare system overall:

1. Enhancing patient safety and care quality
2. Mitigating physician burnout and supporting physician well-being
3. Reducing professional liability risk & proven success in outcomes and recovery
4. Strengthening workforce resilience and sustainability
5. Providing confidential help and trusted advocacy

WPHP continues to earn consistently high ratings for program services and satisfaction from stakeholders and program participants. In fact, 92% of colleagues view WPHP as a valuable resource to the medical community, with 88% reporting they would refer a colleague in need to WPHP. Among program participants, 84% describe their WPHP experience as helpful with one in five reporting that WPHP saved their life.

Read the full article in the Washington Medical Commission newsletter

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.

UW/VA ATTEND Study just out

Dr. Rebecca Hendrickson and colleagues research identifies demoralization as a critical target for workforce sustainability amidst the continuing pandemic.

Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/mental-health/1-in-5-nurses-say-theyll-quit-their-careers-as-pandemic-takes-steep-toll-on-mental-health-wa-study-shows/ 

StatNews: https://www.statnews.com/2021/12/16/health-care-workers-suffering-goes-far-beyond-burnout-self-care-isnt-the-cure/

Seattle Met article features Dr. Bundy on overcoming COVID-19 burnout.

Dr. Bundy speaks on the effects of COVID-19 on the health care worker burnout epidemic. He explains what people may be feeling and how we may overcome it.  

Partnering with State Physician Health Programs article featured in Psychiatric Times

A recent article, written by Dr. Steven Adelman, describes the advantages of working with PHP’s for psychiatrists and others who provide care to physicians. 

Physician Peer Coaching

A recent article, written by Sara Tamarin, explains the benefits of engaging with a physician peer coach.  

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Thank you Federation of State Physician Health Programs, INC (FSPHP) for sharing this interview with Dr. Chris Bundy and others exploring burnout, the pandemic, and how PHPs can be a resource in times of need.

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The implications of fighting Covid on the frontlines

A recent Crosscut article highlights the burnout physicians and health care workers across Washington state are experiencing as they enter their second year of fighting Covid.  

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Thank you, WSMA for sharing this important article on burnout among health care workers in Washington! 

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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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The realities of the female health professional during COVID and how to support them.

Doina Lupea of the Ontario Medical Association’s Physician Health Program, in collaboration with Sriharan Ratnapalan, of Dalla Lana and the Hospital for Sick Children, and Andrea Tricco, of Dalla Lana and St. Michael’s Hospital, to study the intersection of stress, burnout and depression among women in health care during coronavirus pandemic and potential interventions that may be effective for increasing resilience during these unprecedented times.

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UW Medicine Update in Hospital Medicine

Join Dr. Bundy at the upcoming UW Medicine Update in Hospital Medicine. Dr. Bundy will be sharing on physician burnout as part of this event that is targeted for practitioners who take care of hospitalized general medicine patients.

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Dr. Bundy Speaks on Physician Burnout

In his role as President-Elect of FSPHP, Dr. Bundy was asked by the Rural Health Information Hub to speak on Physician Burnout.

Part 1

Part 2