NEQCA is committed to improving the work life balance and wellbeing of our clinicians by reducing administrative burdens and developing new programs to address these challenges. NEQCA’s Clinician Wellbeing and Satisfaction Council was established following a review of the findings from a 2019 NEQCA Clinician Satisfaction Survey. Council members serve as advisors, champions, ambassadors and catalysts for wellbeing throughout our Network. The Council is chaired by Dr. Andrew Chandler of Hallmark Health Medical Associates/Tufts MC Community Care in Somerville. Council membership is open to any interested clinician in the NEQCA Network, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other advanced practice clinicians.
This page offers expert guidance and recommended resources, to help understand physician burnout and maintain emotional health and wellbeing.
Physician Health Services
Virtual Self-Care Group
Virtual Self-Care Group is a twice-weekly free and confidential support to physicians, facilitated by licensed PHS professionals Tuesday and Thursdays from 6-7 pm.
- If interested, please email: PHS@mms.org
- For consultations on the fly, or in depth, assistance with burnout and self-care techniques, and referrals, call: 781-434-7404
COVID-19 Wellbeing Resources
For Clinicians
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NEW: WELL-BEING PLAYBOOK 2.0 A COVID-19 Resource for Hospital and Health System Leadership - February 2021
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Supporting Clinicians during Covid-19 and Beyond — Learning from Past Failures and Envisioning New Strategies, NEJM, December 31, 2020
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Physician Well-Being--What’s Changed and What’s More Important than Ever in the Wake of COVID-19
Drs. Jonathan Ripp and Brendan Carr highlight how the pandemic has affected staff at the Mount Sinai Health System and steps the organization has taken to mitigate staff stress and increase wellness and resilience in this short video. Check out the entire COVID-19 Healthcare Professional Stress and Resilience speaker series and our upcoming issue of The Exchange, which will feature these and other experts sharing their lessons learned over the past several months.
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VIDEO: Caregivers Grand Rounds June 15, 2020: Finding Balance/ Avoiding Burnout: How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Colleagues
- VIDEO: Caregiving Grand Rounds: Witnessing, Loss and Grief in COVID Time: What Truly Matters - Kaethe Weingarten, PhD
- VIDEO: Caregiving Grand Rounds: A Secure Core of Compassion and Awareness for an Insecure Time - John Makransky, PhD
- VIDEO: Caregiving Grand Rounds: Maintaining Compassion for Self and Others-William Kahn
- VIDEO: Caregiving Grand Rounds: Stress Management and Resilience Building at Time of COVID 19
- Supporting Clinicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Annals of Internal Medicine - March 2020
- Understanding and Addressing Sources of Anxiety Among Health Care Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic, JAMA - April 29, 2020
- Webinar Series: Emotional Well-Being During COVID-19 for Health Care Providers
- AHA Discounts for Healthcare Workers - April 28, 2020
- Free 60-min Drop-in Support For Those Affected by COVID-19 - April 28, 2020
- Webinar: Preparing for a Marathon: Healthcare Worker & Organizational Sustainment During COVID-19
- Supporting the Health Care Workforce During the COVID-19 Global Epidemic
For All
Organizations
HelpGuide's mission is to provide research-driven, impartial tools and information to help readers strengthen their mental and emotional health, improve their relationships, and take charge of their lives. HelpGuide now serves over 65 million people a year– free to all, and free of advertising or corporate influences.
The Happy MD offers a set of field-tested resources to help prevent physician burnout and build an ideal practice along the way. Register (no charge) and get instant access.
StressRemedy.com provides fourteen guided meditation exercises aimed to decrease stress and increase health and well-being, as well as resources to aid in improving office efficiency to reduce burnout.
Websites
- acponline.org: Read about American College of Physicians (ACP)’s ongoing commitment to improve physician well-being and personal Satisfaction
- acponline.org/advocacy: ACP’s initiative to put patients before paperwork
- wellmd.stanford.edu: Stanford School of Medicine website to promote physician health and resiliency. Many self-assessments available
- stepsforward.org: AMA Steps Forward modules, with multiple strategies for reducing burnout and returning joy to medicine
- nam.edu: National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience
- ihi.org: Institute for Healthcare Improvement offers information on turning burnout to engagement and finding joy in practice
- aafp.org: American Academy of Family Physicians Member Resources
- KevinMD.com: Social media’s leading physician voice Keven Pho, MD practicing internist and powerful social media presence provides a public face for the issues facing health care providers and policy makers.The physician tab in particular has discussions from many experts in physician burnout, suicide, resilience and empathy
- zdoggmd.com: Zubin Damania, MD is a self described physician, off white rapper and founder of turntable health offering primary care in Las Vegas, NV whose videos on medical care and the medical system are a hilarious break for patients and burnt out physicians alike.
Recordings and Videos
Podcasts
MedPEP: Free anti-burnout podcast from Massachusetts Medical Society’sPhysician Health Services.
MedPEP, the Medical Professionals’ Empowerment Program, is a free podcast series exploring ways for you to stay well and reduce your risk of burnout. MedPEP’s star, Marie Curious, MD (a pseudonym), is an early career primary care internist who is already thinking about leaving the profession she loves. Dr. Curious joins Les Schwab, MD, a PCP and physician coach, to consult a series of professionals who offer practical techniques to help her survive and thrive in today’s medical environment. Their territory includes nutrition, physical activity, working with difficult colleagues, dealing with bureaucracy and bosses, multi-tasking, system improvement, meditation, and addiction. MedPEP is brought to you by Physician Health Services (PHS), an organization founded by the MMS.
Bedside Rounds - Fascinating clinical stories
Narrative medicine rounds from Columbia University
The Doctor Paradox is a podcast series addressing “why despite having incredibly meaningful jobs, doctors are increasingly unhappy in their work”
Ted Talks and Lectures
Readings
Recommended Books
The Thriving Physician: How to Avoid Burnout by Choosing Resilience Throughout Your Medical Career
Author: Gary R. Simonds and Wayne M. Sotile
About: This 'survival guide for the psyche' is packed with insights and strategies to help you build the resilience you need to succeed and grow, both personally and professionally, in
The Resilient Physician
Author: Wayne Sotile, MD and Mary Sotile
About: Husband and wife team explore factors leading to physician burnout and developing resilience over a lifetime of medical practice.
What Doctor’s Feel How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine
Author: Danielle Ofri, MD
About: Practicing internist and writer Dr. Ofri writes about how the hidden emotional responses of physicians affect patients
Stop Physician Burnout-what to do when working harder … isn’t working
Author: Dike Drummond, MD
About: Book by Dike Drummond, CEO of thehappymd.com former family practice physician who uses his burnout experience to prevent burnout and build physician leadership
Organizational Climate, Stress, and Error in Primary Care: The MEMO Study -
About:A study of the impact of organization stress on physicians and patients by a research group including leading burnout researcher Mark Linzer. Shows that physician stress is prevalent in primary care; stress and the likelihood of making errors are associated with organizational climate and office environment and thus interventions may help.