By: Sara Hussey, MBA, CAE – ACMS Executive Director
The Allegheny County Medical Society’s “Putting Self-Care in Healthcare” campaign focuses on promoting wellness and self-care practices among healthcare professionals, particularly the physicians within our ACMS membership. Recognizing the high levels of stress and burnout in the medical field, this campaign emphasizes the importance of mental, emotional, and physical well-being for those who care for others. Through educational resources, community initiatives, advocacy, and some fun giveaways, the campaign aims to encourage healthcare workers to prioritize their health, adopt healthy habits, and seek support when needed. By fostering a culture of self-care, the Allegheny County Medical Society strives to enhance the overall well-being and resilience of the healthcare community, ultimately improving patient care.
As we enter the third year of the Self-Care in Healthcare campaign, I’m inspired by its evolution. What began as a feel-good initiative to help reduce the stigma around mental health by providing resources and tools for physicians to disconnect from their busy workloads has transformed into a deeper conversation about physician suicide and a public awareness campaign highlighting the struggles physicians face. Last year, ACMS Board Member, Dr. Anu Anand and I were able to take this conversation to Talk Pittsburgh, where we shared our message with the public ahead of Physician Suicide Awareness Day.
This year, we are taking everything we’ve learned over the past two years and turning it into actionable tools for our members and all physicians in our region.
Hopefully, you’ve heard that the ACMS Foundation launched the ACMS Physician Wellness Program earlier this year. This program symbolizes our dedication to supporting medical professionals. It is both a resource and a testament to our commitment to prioritizing physicians’ well-being. The ACMS Physician Wellness Program offers confidential counseling services to address the challenges medical professionals face today. This initiative underscores our commitment to supporting our dedicated physicians’ emotional and mental health. Visit www.acms.org/physicianwellness to learn more or to take advantage of a few free counseling sessions. Why not make prioritizing your mental health a part of your self-care goals this September?
Additionally, the ACMS is working with key stakeholders to address the removal of intrusive language in licensure and credentialing applications within hospital systems. ACMS member Dr. Vint Blackburn, Medical Director of the Physician Wellness Program, authored a resolution for the 2024 House of Delegates. Resolution 24-209 proposes that the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s medical licensure application to identify and address intrusive language related to mental health disclosures. The resolution recommends establishing a task force, including legal experts, mental health professionals, and medical community representatives, to recommend best practices aligned with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. The hope is that this task force will work with state regulatory bodies to implement these changes, aiming to support the mental health of medical professionals while maintaining patient safety. Additionally, this resolution recommends that PAMED create educational resources to inform members of the changes and promote a supportive culture and create an annual report that will track the progress and impact of these initiatives.
As in previous years, we will continue our social media campaign throughout September as we approach Physician Suicide Awareness Day on September 17. This year, you’ll hear from key stakeholders who will share guidance on self-care in healthcare, learn about statistics that affect you as physicians, and discover how you can win our most exciting self-care prize yet! If you’re not already following us on social media, now’s the time to do so—you won’t want to miss all the great things we have in store.
Finally, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to all the physicians, residents, students, and healthcare workers reading this article. Your work is tireless, sometimes thankless, and often exhausting. But being a physician is one of the most important jobs in the world, and you are both appreciated and necessary. We thank you for all that you do, and we look forward to helping you find ways to practice self-care this September.