Content repurposed from VITAL WorkLife.  BY SIMON MITTAL, MD, MMM May recognizes Mental Health Month across the United States. It’s a time to share information, stories, and resources about mental health. SafeHaven™ is dedicated to doing this work for physicians and other healthcare professionals by raising awareness about clinician well-being and burnout.   The first step in supporting healthcare professionals’ well-being and mental health is to recognize and understand the warning signs, and then take action.  Early Warning Signs Colleagues May Notice  Based on my experience as a healthcare executive and physician [...]

Ask a healthcare worker why they went into the medical field and you are likely to get a variety of answers, but one reason tends to be given more than any other: to help people. Medicine isn’t glamorous, it can be messy and stressful. Sleepless nights and hours of paperwork are hard to get through without the driving force of compassion. But what happens when the caring starts to fade? What is compassion fatigue? Compassion fatigue, as defined by Psychologist Charles Figley, PhD, is a state of emotional detachment and [...]

Those on the frontlines of America’s healthcare system have survived medical school and residency, logged in countless hours caring for patients in dire health, and navigated an ever-evolving healthcare system during extraordinary circumstances in recent years. This high-paced and intense environment has led to an increase in behavioral health issues and burnout among these necessary healthcare heroes. Burnout is a result of prolonged emotional exhaustion and extreme physical and mental stress. Medical professionals have a long history of under-reporting and under-recognizing burnout, often due to a combination of high-stress situations [...]

The Virginia Nurses Foundation promotes the SafeHaven™ Program to nurses at participating hospitals. Richmond, VA (September 9, 2022) – To support the needs of healthcare workers struggling with stress, burnout and the effects of COVID-19, the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) conceived and manages SafeHaven™, which is implemented in partnership with VITAL WorkLife. The Virginia Nurses Foundation, with the support of its affiliate, the Virginia Nurses Association, has signed on to promote and offer this necessary program to Virginia’s nurses. SafeHaven™ was created by the passage of the Virginia legislation, [...]

Excerpt via Medical Economics …In Virginia, physicians have a new level of confidentiality set in law. The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) advocated for creation of the SafeHaven program, which has a partnership with a physician-focused national behavior health consulting practice. Melina Davis, MSV executive vice president and CEO, agrees physicians are reluctant to seek counseling because if they must reveal it, they fear they could lose licenses, have referral networks dry up, or get fired. But physicians enrolling in SafeHaven gain legal privilege that forbids release of any records, reports or communications originating [...]

Healthcare worker burnout was a staggering issue for systems across the country even before the pandemic, and, now, a new report from the U.S. surgeon general hopes to help by boosting benefits and reducing administrative burdens. Read the Full Article

…Melina Davis, who serves as the C.E.O and E.V.P for the Medical Society of Virginia, said that when healthcare workers are having mental health issues, many times they do not feel comfortable coming forward for fear of repercussions. “If you can’t talk to somebody, not only are you isolated, but there’s a building level of frustration and loss of hope,” she said. “Could mean that your license would be affected, your referral network could be affected even your employment, so they had a tendency to then just hold it all [...]

Lorna Breen, MD, was an emergency physician working at a frenetic pace at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City in 2020. She contracted COVID-19, returned to work early out of a sense of duty, and after struggling with psychiatric challenges took her life a few weeks later. She had no previous psychiatric history before this. Her only known risk factor for suicide was being a physician... Read the Full Article

RICHMOND, VA (May 2, 2022) The Medical Society of Virginia’s SafeHaven™ program has over 4,000 physicians, PAs, nurses, pharmacists, and medical students enrolled, allowing them to seek support and well-being services while they provide care to others. SafeHaven™ resources and benefits are extended to family members while protecting the healthcare clinician’s confidentiality and medical licensure. SafeHaven™ has seen a 47 percent utilization rate, far exceeding the traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) proving the demand for a protected assistance program. SafeHaven™ offers a comprehensive set of Well Being Resources that include [...]

By Russell Libby, MD The COVID-19 pandemic has added a new dimension of stress for physicians. Most of us live with some degree of anxiety and occasional depression, and it might be argued that it reflects some of the traits that drive us to become physicians. Our altruism, intuitive and learned skills and work ethic create a high standard against which we measure our achievement and professional satisfaction. In the best of circumstances, we are challenged to find balance in our lives and are increasingly prone to burnout. COVID-19 has impacted our personal [...]