Central PA Medicine Summer 2021 - 9

dauphincms.org
I
n April of 2020, Pennsylvania physician
and chair of the Pennsylvania
Medical Society Foundation Dr.
Virginia Hall put out a call for greater
support of Physician Health Programs
(PHPs) in an essay on KevinMD.org:1
" Some physicians have opined their belief
that physician health plans (PHP) are
contributing to the increasing physician
suicidality. These beliefs have been used
to attack PHPs and unfortunately, steer
those in need to other resources or even
have those in need not getting help. "
That fear of stigma is mentioned in the
Spring/Summer 2021 issue of Physician
Family Magazine by Julie Petrera, who
points out that2
: " Currently, only 14-15%
of the physicians admitting to stress and
burnout seek treatment, despite 81% of
them knowing how or where to get help.
When asked why they don't seek assistance,
physicians reference stigma and potential
career risk as reasons for not seeking support. "
Physician Family Magazine always strives
to support the family members of physicians,
but at the same time, we constantly
ask ourselves the question posed by Erika
Beck in the Winter 2021 issue of Physician
Family Magazine: Who will heal the healers?3
In addition to resources like the Physician
Support Line4
Physician Peer Support Line,5
and the Surgeon Masters
we wanted
to highlight some exemplary PHPs, as well
as motivate you to find out more about
your state's PHP and hopefully reach out
to support their work.
The Professionals Resource Network,
Inc., (PRN) is a private non-profit 501(c)3
organization that provides assistance and
monitoring to a wide range of healthcare
professionals with potentially impairing
conditions in the state of Florida. While
it was originally created to serve primarily
physicians, it has grown to serve a wide
range of healthcare and other professionals
as diverse as harbor pilots, physical therapists,
and mental healthcare practitioners.
It has, from the beginning through today,
benefited from the support and influence
of the Florida Medical Association (FMA),
the FMA Alliance, and the Florida Osteopathic
Medical Association. The idea for a
physician health program in Florida was,
in large measure, initiated and fortified by
the pivotal work of FMA Alliance member
Nancy Hogshead. An FMA Alliance
member has continuously served on our
Board of Directors since its formation. The
program admitted its first participants in
1981. By 2019, PRN had touched the lives
of 11,333 referrals and participants from
33 state professional boards and councils.
While PRN has grown and changed in
the implementation of its mission, the
mission has remained the same: to protect
the citizens of Florida and to provide
a confidential avenue of assistance to
professionals who are impaired or are at
elevated risk of an impairing condition
that could affect their ability to practice
safely. The program's growth reflects both
the population growth of Florida and the
way society regards potentially impairing
health conditions, regarding substance use
disorders and mental health conditions
as illnesses rather than character flaws or
personal weaknesses, thus encouraging
healthcare professionals to seek help. The
resultant outcomes of thorough evaluations,
adequate treatment, and longitudinal
monitoring for safety and stability, where
indicated, far surpass those who suffer from
these conditions in the general public.
The desire and ability to help others
and to make a difference in their lives that
attracts physicians and others to healthcare
specialties are extinguished in slow increments
as the person's own illness progresses.
Rebuilding self-worth and self-compassion,
accepting one's humanity, and realizing that
perfection is not achievable, all take time
to internalize. This occurs, in our program,
through attendance at various therapies and
support meetings, including one of our
unique program offerings, professionally
facilitated weekly group meetings. There,
people can share information regarding
work stresses and challenges that they
cannot in open community settings. There
are specialized groups for mental health
concerns, substance use disorders, professional
boundary issues, and professionalism.
Two other areas that we are fortunate to
have developed include an active research
program (recent publications can be accessed
on our website www.flprn.org) and
our professional student program, which
has served 141 students from 10 medical
schools since its inception in 2006. From
being the first state, in 1969, to acknowledge
and enact what was dubbed a " sick
doctor " statute, to today with resources for
those dealing with the acute and chronic
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida
has been on the forefront of advocating
for physicians who need assistance with
their own medical conditions, and PRN
has been a grateful and proud advocate for
professional health and wellness in our state.
Alexis Polles, MD, FAPA
Southeast Region Director, 2019-2021
Federation of State Physician Health
Programs
https://flprn.org/
The Missouri Physicians Health Program
(MPHP) is a valuable resource to
all Missouri physicians, residents, fellows,
and medical students. It is a program of
support and advocacy to assist physicians
in a time of need. What we know is that
everyone needs help at some point in time
and the MPHP is here for physicians when
they reach that point. Our role is not to
punish or shame physicians. Rather, it is
to offer compassionate support in a safe
confidential setting.
MPHP does not diagnose or treat. It is our
goal to find solutions for physicians as they
face personal and professional challenges.
These could include substance use disorder,
behavioral problems, mental health issues,
or boundary violations.We work with
remarkable treatment providers that offer
services to address these challenges. Once
a physician seeks the treatment they need,
recommendations are given to assist them
with maintaining the skills and tools they
have acquired during the treatment process.
This is where MPHP comes in and
monitors the recommendations that offer
a physician a comfortable and healthy
life. Our purpose is to create a record that
Continued on page 11
Central PA Medicine Summer 2021 9
http://www.dauphincms.org http://www.flprn.org https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/04/why-you-should-support-physician-health-plans.html https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?m=62681&i=702934&p=24&pp=1 https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?m=62681&i=702934&p=24&pp=1 https://www.flprn.org/ https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?m=62681&i=690093&p=18 https://www.physiciansupportline.com/ https://www.physiciansupportline.com/ https://www.surgeonmasters.com/peersupport https://www.surgeonmasters.com/peersupport
Central PA Medicine Summer 2021

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