4 minute read
Putting Self-care into Health care
Sara C. Hussey, MBA, CAE – ACMS Executive Director
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When I started in my role as the Executive Director of the Allegheny County Medical Society in March of this year, I had a general awareness of the pressure, stress, and mental strain that was put on health care workers. But as I started to dig deeper and began speaking to ACMS members, I quickly learned much more about what their lives have looked like over the last few years. It was clear that there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than most could even imagine.
For many healthcare workers, specifically physicians, the stress and anxiety, coupled with long days, endless paperwork, and a continued campaign of distrust of the medical profession, is leading to a tremendous increase in physician mental health conditions. The pandemic has affected the mental health of healthcare workers nationwide, with more than 50% of public health workers reporting symptoms of at least one mental health condition, such as anxiety, depression, and increased levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
During the month of September, we acknowledged Physician Suicide Awareness Day (September 17) by sharing some of the staggering and heartbreaking statistics around physician suicide and the stress medical professionals are facing.
But the month of September also saw the launch of the ACMS’s “Putting Self-Care in Health care” campaign. This social media campaign was aimed at offering everyday solutions to help combat physician burnout. Each day the ACMS shared a new discount, service, or event on our social media pages, all with the intention of providing ways for physicians to take time away from their work, spend time with their families, or just take a single day for some self-care. We had many local Pittsburgh businesses step-up to offer some amazing giveaways, as well. Many of these discounts and services are ongoing and not just limited to September. Be sure to check out the full list of discounts at www.acms.org/ selfcareinhealthcare or you can visit any of our social media channels.
Our message to all healthcare workers is that, here at the ACMS, we see you, we appreciate you, and we THANK YOU for all that you have done and all that you continue to do. We hope you will take some time for yourself this month.
Be sure to follow our social media pages to catch all the exciting partnerships, discounts, and giveaways for healthcare workers throughout the month of September:
Facebook – Twitter – Instagram LinkedIn – acms.org
Editorial Editorial
adjacent lumbar vertebra, explaining her pain. My resident, from Georgia, upon seeing the findings said, in his deep southern drawl, “Fellahs, there’s a lesson here. Crocks daah (die), too.” Unfortunately for the patient, CT scanning and ultrasound exams had not been developed. The important lesson is that for most patients with a diagnosis of psychosomatic illness, the symptoms are real, and in fact a small number of these patients indeed have real abnormalities accounting for their symptoms.
Sigmund Freud’s view of humor was that it was a conscious expression of thoughts that society usually suppressed or was forbidden.2 As long as the humor, in this case namecalling, is meant in a benign fashion, it is considered harmless.
However, in today’s politically divisive atmosphere, it is best to use humor only when you truly know your audience. As a good example, I remember the not so “good old days,” when it was expected that a speaker at a conference or a refresher course would tell jokes. Many of the “old timers” were very colorful characters. Today, fortunately, speakers are business-like and jokes are tacitly forbidden, since they are bound to offend someone. Finally, we should always remember that no matter how unpleasant some of our patients are to us, they are still our fellow human beings.
Dr. Daffner, associate editor of the ACMS Bulletin, is a retired radiologist who practiced at Allegheny General Hospital for more than 30 years. He is emeritus clinical professor of Radiology at Temple University School of Medicine and is the author of nine textbooks. He can be reached at bulletin@acms.org.
The opinion expressed in this column is that of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editorial Board, the Bulletin, or the Allegheny County Medical Society.
References
1. Shem S. The House of God. Richard Marek Publishers 1978. 2. Freud S, (Strachey J, Trans.). Jokes and their relation to the unconscious New York: W. W. Norton, 1960 (Original work published 1905).
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