Excerpt via Medical Economics …In Virginia, physicians have a new level of confidentiality set in law. The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) advocated for creation of the SafeHaven program, which has a partnership with a physician-focused national behavior health consulting practice. Melina Davis, MSV executive vice president and CEO, agrees physicians are reluctant to seek counseling because if they must reveal it, they fear they could lose licenses, have referral networks dry up, or get fired. But physicians enrolling in SafeHaven gain legal privilege that forbids release of any records, reports or communications originating [...]

Healthcare worker burnout was a staggering issue for systems across the country even before the pandemic, and, now, a new report from the U.S. surgeon general hopes to help by boosting benefits and reducing administrative burdens. Read the Full Article

…Melina Davis, who serves as the C.E.O and E.V.P for the Medical Society of Virginia, said that when healthcare workers are having mental health issues, many times they do not feel comfortable coming forward for fear of repercussions. “If you can’t talk to somebody, not only are you isolated, but there’s a building level of frustration and loss of hope,” she said. “Could mean that your license would be affected, your referral network could be affected even your employment, so they had a tendency to then just hold it all [...]

Lorna Breen, MD, was an emergency physician working at a frenetic pace at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City in 2020. She contracted COVID-19, returned to work early out of a sense of duty, and after struggling with psychiatric challenges took her life a few weeks later. She had no previous psychiatric history before this. Her only known risk factor for suicide was being a physician... Read the Full Article

RICHMOND, VA (May 2, 2022) The Medical Society of Virginia’s SafeHaven™ program has over 4,000 physicians, PAs, nurses, pharmacists, and medical students enrolled, allowing them to seek support and well-being services while they provide care to others. SafeHaven™ resources and benefits are extended to family members while protecting the healthcare clinician’s confidentiality and medical licensure. SafeHaven™ has seen a 47 percent utilization rate, far exceeding the traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) proving the demand for a protected assistance program. SafeHaven™ offers a comprehensive set of Well Being Resources that include [...]

By Russell Libby, MD The COVID-19 pandemic has added a new dimension of stress for physicians. Most of us live with some degree of anxiety and occasional depression, and it might be argued that it reflects some of the traits that drive us to become physicians. Our altruism, intuitive and learned skills and work ethic create a high standard against which we measure our achievement and professional satisfaction. In the best of circumstances, we are challenged to find balance in our lives and are increasingly prone to burnout. COVID-19 has impacted our personal [...]

A new Mayo Clinic Proceedings article led by the American Medical Association explores the relationship between COVID-related stress and work intentions of U.S. health care workers. The article found that physicians, nurses, and advanced practice providers are at the highest risk of reducing clinical work hours or leaving their practice, with one in five physicians and two in five nurses intending to leave their practice altogether. Factors associated with a greater intention to reduce work hours or leave a practice include higher levels of burnout, stress, workload, fear of infection, [...]

Via the Medical Society of Virginia Blog. Read More Here. There’s no question COVID-19 has up-leveled physician stress and burnout — which you know all too well was already a challenge for medical professionals. Quarantines. Increased patient loads. Staff absences and shortages. Fear of exposure. Supply anxiety. New PPE protocols. Vaccinations and vaccination status concerns. Decreased practice revenue and increased costs. Patient fear. Misinformation. Telehealth visits and their related technology demands. Delayed patient health screenings and treatment. The list goes on. And that’s all on top of issues already facing physicians and PAs [...]

BY ELAINE K. HOWLEY | SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 Since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was first officially declared, doctors, nurses and other clinicians have stepped up and shouldered burdens they never anticipated. They rose to the challenge magnificently, caring for the ill while protecting themselves and their families. But their commitment to helping others has come, in many cases, at no small cost to themselves. Even many of those who didn’t contract the coronavirus have changed forever... Read the Full Story Here

#NPSADay is a reminder and call to action to help everyone prevent physician suicide, including health organizations, health systems, hospitals, medical societies and practices. It’s a time to talk — and to act — so physicians’ struggles don’t become mental health emergencies. SafeHaven™ is committed to raising awareness of the physician suicide epidemic and galvanizing physicians, their colleagues and their loved ones to create a culture of wellbeing that prioritizes reducing burnout, safeguarding job satisfaction and viewing seeking mental health services as a sign of strength. We want you to [...]