1. Referral

Challenging as it may be, reporting a potentially impaired colleague is a courageous act of compassion.

If you are a supervisor, healthcare provider, coworker, or family member concerned about a physician in need of assistance, you can contact us anonymously through our website or call for more information. A clinical staff member will respond, listen to your concerns, and provide information and suggestions. If indicated, we will walk you through the intake/evaluation process and assist with planning next steps.

Make a Referral

2. Initial Assessment

Upon referral to WPHP, clinical staff will determine if an initial in-office assessment is indicated. During initial assessment, we will meet with the professional, inquire about their perspective, gather health and psychosocial histories, administer a cognitive screen, and obtain laboratory testing to inform next steps.

Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation (CDE)

Based on the referral concern and information obtained during the initial assessment, WPHP may recommend further evaluation. We may be able to utilize local providers to assist with completing some evaluations. When the health condition is complex in nature, we also utilize residential centers with special expertise in the evaluation of healthcare professionals to provide a CDE. The CDE often includes psychiatric, psychological, medical, and substance use evaluations, as well as neurocognitive testing. The goal is to efficiently evaluate complex health conditions and obtain treatment recommendations.

Outcomes of evaluation include:

1. No impairment or potentially impairing health condition found: no further intervention or health support agreement recommended.
2. Illness without concern of impairment: we provide resources that may be helpful, but no health support agreement is recommended.
3. Illness with impairment or reasonable risk of impairment: further evaluation or treatment is recommended followed by a post-treatment health support agreement.

3. Treatment

Treatment depends on the type and severity of the underlying health condition. Treatment of active or untreated substance use disorders or complex mental health issues is completed at WPHP-approved treatment centers that have extensive experience and expertise in the treatment of healthcare professionals. These centers offer programming and peer-support experiences that are tailored to the unique rehabilitative needs of this population. 

This model of care, followed by a post-treatment health support agreement with WPHP, yields gold standard results. For substance use disorders, 87% of WPHP program participants have no return to use at 5 years, compared to only 50% of individuals in the general population at 6 months in usual care. Data suggest equally outstanding outcomes for mental health conditions without substance use disorder.

4. Health Support Agreement

Upon successful completion of evaluation and any indicated treatment, a healthcare professional may enter into a WPHP health support agreement. This occurs when an evaluation indicates that a healthcare professional is experiencing an illness that is impairing or is reasonably likely to result in impairment. A WPHP Health Support Agreement is the most effective strategy to protect patient safety while enabling healthcare professionals to return to work as soon as possible. Health Support Agreements are individualized and range from one to three years for non-substance-use-related conditions. Health Support Agreements for primary substance use disorders range from one year for mild disorders and up to five years for moderate and severe disorders.

High-quality, evidence-based health support agreements are the cornerstone of WPHP’s advocacy efforts. Employers, credentialing bodies, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders in Washington trust WPHP’s endorsement of a health professional’s safety to practice because of our strong health status verification reputation and our experience working with all concerned parties.

5. Advocacy

Once a healthcare professional is engaged and successfully treated and enrolled in a health support agreement, WPHP can advocate in employment, insurance, regulatory, legal, and other issues as necessary. Most healthcare organizations across Washington state are familiar with WPHP and are reassured by the “medical clearance” that a WPHP endorsement provides.