Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ
E The physician lounge art exhibits
AMITA Health provides program to counter physician burnout Almost half of U.S. physicians report
the pandemic has magnified and highlight-
signs of burnout, so AMITA Health is
ed the incidence of professional isolation,
making it a priority to provide mental
burnout and even suicide. It is often difficult
health help to its physicians, drawing on the
for physicians to identify, or admit to, their
system’s experience in behavioral health.
own troublesome symptoms, making it
“We are very well connected at AMITA
essential for healthcare organizations like
with mental health resources — it’s a best
AdventHealth to extend the healing minis-
practice for us — and that allows us the
try of Jesus to physicians and their families,
opportunity to speak to that [issue] in a dif-
taking the initiative to lift them up, address-
ferent way,” said Heather Hoffman, regional
ing identified problems and helping restore
director of Clinical Mission Integration.
doctors to health and well-being.”
Many of the physician wellness efforts
AMITA formalized its program under the
at AMITA began within AdventHealth.
Clinical Mission Integration program in 2018,
Ted Hamilton, MD, AdventHealth chief
but parts of it had been in place for years.
Mission Integration officer and chairman
“We have tried to grow the program, which
of the Coalition for Physician Well-being,
initially started with our Adventist hospi-
explained, “Doctors are people, too —
tals,” said Lanny Wilson, MD, who spear-
subject to human emotions, such as anxiety,
heads the program with Hoffman, “and we’ve
depression and loneliness. The stress of
been embraced by the AMITA culture.”
26 SEPTEMBER 2021
S P EC I AL FEATU R E
AMITA offers a variety of resources to its physicians, including: • Psychological support service. Originally used only at the Adventist hospitals, it’s now available throughout the system. • Schwartz Rounds, a program designed to give physicians an opportunity to talk about issues they face in their work. A change to Whole-Person Care Conferences, similar to Schwartz Rounds but offers broader spiritual components, is being considered. • Art. Physician artwork is displayed in physician lounges, providing an outlet for the artist and a calming environment for the physicians. Recent online offerings for physicians/spouses were well-received, so similar options in the future likely will be available. • Finding Meaning in Medicine, small groups led by a physician and a facilitator which discuss a predetermined topic. • A website that addresses many aspects of mental health. • The Well-Being Index, a self-assessment app to check for signs of burnout. In addition, AMITA is planning to introduce other programs, including a pilot program for physician onboarding at the Adventist hospitals. It involves both screening to identify mission-minded physicians as well as a peer mentoring program. The efforts are bearing fruit: AMITA physicians scored well above average for resiliency on a recent survey. But, Wilson and Hoffman agree, there is still work to be done. “We have a mission of whole-person care. But if we don’t start with our own physicians and encourage them to take care of themselves — mind, body and spirit, then we’ll never be able to fully treat our patients in that same way,” Hoffman said. P Julie Busch, AMITA Health, associate vice president for Internal Communication
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