The Return of “Put the Self-Care in Healthcare”

saRa hussey, mBa, Cae – aCms exeCutive DiReCtoR Duquesne univeRsity sChool oF PhaRmaCy

Last year, the ACMS launched our “Put the Self-care in Healthcare” campaign in honor of Physician Suicide Awareness Day on September 17. In addition to honoring that day of awareness, our team also created a campaign to provide resources, discounts, services, and support tools for our members. Last year, we were overwhelmed at the response from local businesses. We engaged with businesses around Allegheny County who offered exclusive discounts to healthcare workers and provided us with giveaways like gift cards, tickets, and more. We were spotlighted on the Rick Dayton radio show and the “Yinz are Good” podcast, and we even received a message from (now former) Gov. Wolf.

This year, as this campaign evolves, we’ll be adding in some personal touches. We’ll be sharing thoughts directly from ACMS members, and we’ll share some words of encouragement from the patients that our physicians care for on a daily basis. We are making a strong effort to secure more press coverage to raise awareness about physician suicide and promote mental health resources for healthcare professionals. Using our platform, we aim to further advance the conversation on this important issue while reserving space on September 17, Physician Suicide Awareness Day, to honor those who we have lost or who are struggling.

Through our efforts to raise awareness, we aim to reward and motivate physicians. Our partners in dining, entertainment, fitness, coffee, spas, and more will provide weekly discounts, and we will unveil a new prize package every week. Physicians can earn entries for these prizes throughout the month, and all prizes will be awarded at September’s end. Additionally, we will offer several smaller giveaways throughout the month to prioritize our members’ mental health.

We invite and encourage you to follow ACMS on our social media channels, including