April 19, 2018
Hello,
Physician burnout is a topic that has burdened our profession and has risen to the attention of the national media. UT System Chancellor William McRaven has charged our institution with making strides in improving physician and faculty burnout. In response, the Office of Faculty Affairs has partnered with the Faculty Senate to form a Physician Burnout and Resilience Task Force composed of senators, administration, and physician faculty sharing their experiences at Memorial Hermann and LBJ hospital settings as well as our UT Physician clinics. I have charged this Task Force with providing actionable recommendations we can implement to enhance the well-being of our faculty.
One particularly welcome development already initiated is the creation of the Faculty Assistance Program in the Office of Employee Assistance, including the recruitment of a dedicated Faculty Assistance Specialist and Wellness Coach.
We recognize that burnout is an issue to be addressed early in the physician career. The Office of Admissions and Student Affairs has developed a formal wellness and resilience program that is in its second year. This multidimensional program includes the McGovern Societies Advisory Program in which eight students are assigned to one clinical faculty mentor. In addition we offer various workshops and programming throughout the year that cover:
- Occupational Development
- Professionalism and Leadership
- Personal Health and Self-Care
- Interpersonal Growth
- Cultural and Environmental Proficiency
Of note, two students from our Wellness and Resilience committee are presenting posters on aspects of our wellness program at the AAMC Continuum Connections meeting in Orlando later this month.
Our entire McGovern Medical School community is invited to our monthly Arts and Resilience series, which brings in guest performers and speakers in collaboration with our McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics. It is recognized that art enhances well-being and strengthens resiliency – the goal of this new program. Yesterday, Sandy Frieden, Ph.D., adjunct assistant professor at the University of Houston taught us “How to Watch a Movie.”
As physician wellness rises to a topic of national importance, I suggest that you review the Charter on Physician Well-being, which was recently published in JAMA and is a project supported by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
This thoughtful document puts forth societal, organizational, and interpersonal/individual commitments to enhance well-being in the context of the following guiding principles: Effective patient care promotes and requires physician well-being; physician well-being is connected to the well-being of all members of the health care team; physician well-being is a quality marker; and physician well-being is a shared responsibility.
I welcome your thoughts and suggestions as we tackle this issue.
Warm regards,
Barbara
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