Cover Story: Resilient, but not Invincible: Physician Suicide Awareness

We are resilient, but not invincible.

Every day, an American physician commits suicide.

National Physician Suicide Awareness (NPSA) Day was September 17, 2020. This annual event serves to commemorate colleagues lost to suicide and raise awareness about mental wellness.

Physician suicide is a tremendous issue in healthcare today: the relative risk of committing suicide is 2.27 times greater among women and 1.41 times greater among men versus the general population. Each physician suicide is a devastating loss affecting everyone— family, friends, colleagues, and up to 1 million patients per year. It is both a very personal loss and a public health crisis.

This year, raising awareness is more important than ever. The coronavirus pandemic has placed unprecedented strains on the health care workforce, bringing new and unforeseen concerns. And being an emergency physician carries with it a unique set of stressors that can eventually take a toll.

Ways to Create Awareness:

Create a safe, supportive work environment

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Sometimes the best support can come from those who know exactly what you’re going through each day.

Sharing your story can help others feel more comfortable about sharing theirs.

Be vulnerable and be a role model for your colleagues and trainees.

Find some time for self-care

“Do you recognize your stress warnings? Take some time to learn your personal triggers, then work on ways to help reduce them. Start with a 2-minute ‘breath break’ to refocus before reengaging.” -René Mack, MD, RDMS; FCEP Membership & Professional Development Co-Chair

ACEP Wellness & Assistance Program

ACEP members get exclusive access to three free counseling or wellness sessions in partnership with Mines & Associates. Sessions are available 24/7 by phone, text or online messaging, or you schedule a face-to-face appointment.

CORD Wellness Resources

Physician Suicide Podcasts & Videos

Suicide During Residency Resources

Blogs & Messaging

Membership & Professional Development

By Shayne Gue, MD

MPD Committee Co-Chair

2020 has felt like the longest year of my life... but as emergency medicine physicians—and the entire world— have grappled with an array of new challenges, there have also been opportunities for creativity, innovation and wellness amidst the obvious struggles.

Here at FCEP, one major challenge was continuing our various annual educational conferences, including CLINCON, Symposium by the Sea and Life After Residency. I’m happy to say that not only were we able to continue these highly-lauded programs, but in fact, they went better than anyone could have imagined! The virtual environment was not without impediment, but our dedicated staff and program planning committee members worked tirelessly to provide you with the same great education and fellowship you have come to expect! Even better, the virtual platform allows us to offer these awesome CME credits for up to one year (so register now even if you missed out on the live event for SBS, only $105 for more than 20 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM)! Although we now feel better prepared to take on the next virtual challenge, we are all anxiously awaiting the time we can safely be together again. On the membership side of things, our chapter continues to see growth thanks in large part to our emergency medicine residency training programs! Thanks to this increase in membership, Florida will be well-represented by 22 councillors during this year’s Council Meeting at the Scientific Assembly, ACEP20 Unconventional. Additionally, we are looking forward to beginning our annual residency outreach program (now in a virtual forum). If you are a part of a Florida EM residency program and are interested in scheduling a “visit” and virtual presentation, we are looking forward to the opportunity to connect with each of you!

On the professional development end, we have several exciting ideas and concepts in various stages of planning. We recognize that the first few years upon graduation from residency are vital to your development as a physician and to your career longevity. We continue to promote the fantastic resources of the Young Physician Section of ACEP (included in your first year attending dues). For Florida specifically, we are thrilled to announce the creation of the Early Career Physicians section, which will be led by Dr. Dakota Lane, and will develop a forum for career development, mentorship, fellowship and non-clinical advising. If you are a soon-to-be graduating resident or newly-minted attending and interested in learning more, please reach out!

Lastly but most importantly, don’t forget to find time for YOUR wellness. Your mental and physical wellbeing are the most important factors in allowing you to provide the high-quality, patient-centered care that only emergency physicians can provide. We are discussing and implementing several ideas and programs to support you in this arduous task, but we need your help. How can FCEP assist you? Please reach out and let us know what’s important to YOU! How can we expect to care for others if we can’t take care ourselves? We want to help you in any way we can.

Finally, I hope to see you all (virtually) at our next Board and Committee meetings, which are open to all FCEP members. Until then, keep up the phenomenal work as you continue to care for our most vulnerable population and provide the highest quality emergency care! ■