WPHP provides early intervention, assessment, treatment referral and post-treatment monitoring for health professionals who may not be able to practice safely due to an impairing or potentially impairing health condition. In some cases, support and referral are all that is needed to put concerns to rest. In others, a more serious illness is identified that requires further diagnostic evaluation, treatment and monitoring to support sustained illness remission, safe practice, and WPHP advocacy efforts on behalf of the participant.
Health-care professionals are important guardians of their patients’ health, but are often hesitant to seek help for their colleagues or themselves. WPHP provides services to physicians, physician assistants, dentists, and veterinarians, as well as students and residents of these disciplines. Active licensure is not a requirement for participation.
WPHP assists health-care professionals with any health condition that may affect safe clinical practice.
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
If you are a supervisor, health-care 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.
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.
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 health-care 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.
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 health-care 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 post-treatment monitoring by WPHP, yields gold standard results. For substance use disorders, 80% of WPHP program participants are relapse-free 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.
Upon successful completion of evaluation and any indicated treatment, a health-care professional may enter into a WPHP monitoring agreement. Monitoring occurs when an evaluation indicates that a healthcare professional is experiencing an illness that is impairing or is reasonably likely to result in impairment. WPHP monitoring is the most effective strategy to protect patient safety while enabling healthcare professionals to return to work as soon as possible. Monitoring agreements are individualized and range from one to three years for non-substance-use-related conditions. Monitoring 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 monitoring is 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 monitoring reputation and our experience working with all concerned parties.
Once a health-care professional is engaged and successfully treated and enrolled in a monitoring agreement, WPHP can advocate in employment, insurance, regulatory, legal, and other issues as necessary. Most Health-care organizations across Washington State are familiar with WPHP and are reassured by the “medical clearance” that a WPHP endorsement provides.
The benefits of WPHP extend beyond addressing illness. Healthy doctors means having better care, decreased medical errors, increased patient satisfaction, lower malpractice rates, and better treatment outcomes overall.
Colleagues report WPHP provides exceptional service
Colleagues report that WPHP is effective
Participants felt like they were treated with courtesy and respect by WPHP staff
Colleagues report that WPHP is a valuable resource
to the medical community
Participants report needing and benefiting from WPHP
advocacy
Participants described their WPHP experience as extremely useful or life-saving
Working in their field at program completion
Substance Use Disorder participants relapse-free at 5 years
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