Physician Health and Addiction Program

This week, the Surgeon General of the United States released a comprehensive advisory addressing the endemic burnout happening in the healthcare sector. The advisory not only names the issues driving burnout, but lists ways various stakeholders in the community can help address the issue.

You can read the entire advisory here.

The Surgeon General held a press conference announcing the advisory at Children's National Hospital in Washington DC. Dr. Vivek Murthy was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and the CNH leadership to share the information before the press and public.

In the advisory, the Surgeon General outlines six actions that all stakeholders must take to immediately stem the crisis:

• Protect the health, safety, and well-being of all health workers (e.g., protection from violence, disease spread, and understaffing)
• Eliminate punitive policies for seeking mental health and substance use care
• Reduce administrative and other workplace burdens to help health workers make time for what matters
• Transform organizational cultures to prioritize health worker well-being and show all health workers that they are valued
• Recognize social connection and community as a core value of the health care system (e.g. building peer and team-base support groups)
• Invest in public health and our public health workforce

The advisory also issues recommendations to health care organizations, government entities, insurers, technology companies, academic and training programs, family members, and health care workers.

MSDC takes wellbeing seriously, which is why we've launched the Healthy Physician Foundation. This 501c3 charitable organization creates wellbeing resources and programs for physicians in the DC area, independent of health systems or hospitals. This is your wellness program for your community. Learn more by visiting our website here.