Physician Wellness #GOAT is an AMA Physician and Family Support Program initiative that celebrates physicians supporting colleague wellness and who create a more open, supportive and compassionate culture for Alberta physicians.
Read about these physicians below.
We asked Dr. Cheryl Goldstein's #GOAT nominator, a medical student who wishes to remain anonymous, to describe why Dr. Goldstein. Here's what we learned.
I can’t think of anyone more deserving of a #GOAT nomination than Cheryl (everyone calls her Cheryl). She is a passionate and dedicated advocate for the wellbeing of medical students at the University of Alberta. In her position as the Associate Dean of Advocacy and Wellbeing, she works tirelessly to support students through their medical school journey. The Office of Advocacy and Wellbeing (OAW) was started under the leadership of Dr. Mel Lewis (a past #GOAT) and is now run by Cheryl.
Under their guidance, this office has become a kind of one-stop shop for medical students to go to for confidential support. Right from the first day of medical school, Cheryl has ensured that we know we always have a place to go, no matter what issue we are facing. Whether it’s an academic, financial or personal challenge, the OAW is always there to help us figure it out. On a more personal note, I can’t tell you how comforting it is to know that I can go to the OAW, and Cheryl will not only provide resources to help me navigate any hurdle I am facing but also support me through the process.
Cheryl is one of the kindest and most understanding people I have met. Not only is she working to change the system to better support the wellbeing of students, but she truly embodies the values she advocates for in all her interactions with students. We are so lucky to have her as our Associate Dean!
Continue reading Dr. Goldstein's profile in the September-October issue of Alberta Doctors' Digest.
Professional roles
- Deputy Head, Professional Affairs, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine
- Medical Lead, Virtual Health, Alberta Health Services
- Clinical Associate Professor, Cumming School of Medicine
- Hospital Pediatrician, Alberta Children's Hospital
- Member of Board of Directors, Alberta Medical Association
- Member of Board of Directors, Calgary Health Foundation
When we caught up with Dr. Hall, we asked her to describe a project she is currently working on. Here is what she shared with us.
Read the full story here
Literature has demonstrated that the availability of an anonymous reporting tool contributes to a psychologically safe and healthy work environment. We developed an anonymous tool for anyone to report untoward encounters in the workplace. A QR code is located at the top of our weekly department bulletin, reminding colleagues to report events in the workplace that feel unsafe, unsupportive, or disrespectful, particularly bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination. As leaders in our department, we are committed to supporting an environment that allows for all to do their best work and achieve their greatest potential.
Please choose one of your roles above and tell us what your colleagues can expect from you in that role.
As the Deputy Head, Professional Affairs, I am committed to creating a work environment that is supportive of all department members, allowing colleagues to achieve their greatest potential and to provide the best care they can to our pediatric patients. We aim to do this using the AMA Healthy Working Environment Framework to ensure we approach this issue in a multi-pronged manner: through ensuring psychosocial wellness and safety, facilitating leadership development and promotion amongst colleagues and through ensuring an equitable, diverse, and inclusive space for innovation and excellence.
Continue reading Dr. Hall's profile in the November-December issue of Alberta Doctors' Digest.
Professional roles
- MD, CCFP - family physician
- Hospitalist Physician and Hospitalist Site Representative, Rockyview General Hospital
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
- Representative Forum delegate, Section of Family Medicine, Alberta Medical Association
- Physician Lead, Physician Wellness for Calgary Hospitalists
When we caught up with Dr. Siow, we asked her to describe a project she is currently working on. Here is what she shared with us.
Why Dr. Serena Siow gets our physician wellness #GOAT!
Read the full story here
I am passionate about improving wellness for physicians in a way that positively impacts our daily work lives. Work conditions that allow physicians to thrive, lead to better patient interactions and outcomes. I aim to use an approach that is evidence-based, driven by physician needs, and creates system and culture change. My efforts toward advancing wellness include advocacy, education, measurement and interventions.
Prior to the pandemic, 30% of Canadian physicians reported high levels of burnout and 8% reported recent suicidal ideation. I am concerned about worsening burnout from chronic pandemic strain and additional demands on our work. Burnout is associated with addictions and substance use, death by suicide, increased medical error, and decreased quality of patient care. We need to act to improve physician wellness. We need to address system factors that drive 80% of burnout. We need to advocate for wellness beyond burnout and create positive change in our workplaces.
I am exploring partnerships to implement a framework for improved physician wellness that targets system and culture change. I provide education to physicians about evidence-based strategies for wellness. I empower physicians to achieve sustainable change toward their own wellness. I innovate online spaces for physicians to connect and share experiences. I hope physicians recognize that we are not alone in the demands of our profession and utilize connection as a strategy to maintain resilience. These physician groups also offer an opportunity to explore solutions to system issues together.
Please describe briefly your wellness initiative with the Calgary Hospitalist group.
Hospitalists are family physicians who provide care to over 60% of medical inpatients in Calgary hospitals. Improving wellness for this group of physicians would lead to better patient care and outcomes for their 1,400 patients seen on a daily basis. To understand the pre-pandemic state, we completed a needs assessment to measure wellness and determine priority areas. We found burnout is prevalent: 20% of Calgary hospitalists reported high levels of burnout (weekly or more frequent) and 32% of Calgary hospitalists self-reported burnout. We provide education on strategies to mitigate burnout and improve wellness. We launched a peer support team offering a system-level approach to supporting colleagues in distress. We present recommendations to influence wellness at an organizational level, including best practices for scheduling during a pandemic. We advocate for optimized practice efficiency, such as improving our overnight shift experience, and strengthening our working relationship with the emergency department. We ask that physician wellness be considered whenever any decision is made. We advance the visibility of wellness as an organizational priority.
A system-level approach recognizes physicians as its most important resource and promotes a culture of improvement. Teams that value physician wellness achieve objectives during ordinary times and overcome challenges during times of crisis. Our framework to improve wellness is based on three main strategies:
- supporting physician resilience and emotional health
- improving practice efficiency through system change
- building a culture of wellness
We plan routine evaluation to measure impact and promote continuous improvement. We are exploring partnerships to implement the next steps toward our vision for improved physician wellness.
Tell us what your colleagues can expect from you in this role.
Dedication, reliability, integrity, courage, compassion
Please describe briefly your partnership with Dr. Carmen Gittens
Dr. Carmen Gittens is a colleague and friend. We established and lead the Physician Wellness for Calgary Hospitalists initiative together. Carmen is an incredible partner and advocate for wellness. She is enthusiastic, innovative and visionary in her commitment. I am inspired by her compassion and dedication to those around her. Our wellness efforts are better because of her involvement and contributions.
Continue reading Dr. Siow's profile in the January-February 2021 issue of Alberta Doctors' Digest
Professional roles
- BMBS, CCFP - family physician
- Hospitalist physician, Rockyview General Hospital
- Physician Lead, Physician Wellness for Calgary Hospitalists
- Clinical Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary
When we caught up with Dr. Gittens, we asked her to describe a project she is currently working on. Here is what she shared with us.
Why Dr. Carmen Gittens gets our physician wellness #GOAT!
Read the full story here
Dr. Serena Siow and I are continuing to develop a wellness program that supports our hospitalist physician colleagues. We recently established a peer support program through the help of Well Doc Alberta. There are so many inspiring people and programs in the wellness space, including PFSP, from which we gain valuable ideas and momentum. We are making connections with this wider wellness community and looking for cost-effective and evidence-based initiatives. We are also writing about our research and have submitted papers for publication in various peer-reviewed journals.
Please describe briefly your wellness initiative with the Calgary Hospitalist group.
Our goal is to create a multi-faceted wellness program that addresses both system factors and personal factors. Using validated survey tools, we have obtained baseline measurements of physician wellness. This data has allowed us to identify the most influential areas for potential changes based on physician opinions. By coupling this data with established research on interventions that have been successful at other centers, we hope to create a program for our physicians that will make a meaningful difference. Our goal would be to see measurable improvements in their well-being.
Tell us what your colleagues can expect from you in this role.
As co-lead for the hospitalist physician wellness program, my colleagues can expect me to advocate with their best interests at heart. My main motivation is the 30% of physicians who experience burnout on a weekly basis, and the 20% of physicians who experience suicidal ideation over their lifetimes. The research shows that medical students start out more resilient than their peers of similar age and education, but over the course of their training, their mental health declines. We need to work to change the culture that breaks physicians down. We need to reject the idea that patient care is a competing interest against our own self-care. Rather, we need to extend the same compassion to ourselves as we give to others.
There is also a strong business case for improving physician wellness. Burnout is associated with reduced quality of care, poorer patient outcomes and increased costs to the health care system. Burnout has an estimated organizational cost of $6,660 per physician per year.
Please describe briefly your partnership with Dr. Serena Siow.
Serena is an amazing champion for physician wellness! She has spent so much time educating herself and passing this knowledge on to others. We could not have achieved our success to date without her rigorous research background and understanding of the different measurement tools for wellness. On a personal level, she's an inspiring friend who practices what she preaches.
Continue reading Dr. Gittens' profile in the January-February 2021 issue of Alberta Doctors' Digest
Professional roles
- Emergency physician, Royal Alexandra Hospital and Northeast Community Health Centre
- Clinical professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta
- Assistant dean, Resident & Fellow Affairs, Office of Advocacy & Wellbeing, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, U of A
- Physician collaborator and recent physician associate, Well Doc Alberta
- Physician Wellness Taskforce member, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- Hearing Tribunal and Complaint Review Committee member, College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta
When we caught up with Dr. Dance, we asked her to describe some of the projects she is currently working on. Here is what she shared with us.
Why Dr. Erica Dance gets our physician wellness #GOAT
Read the full story here
In the early days of the pandemic, as we started to imagine what responding to COVID-19 would be like and how it could affect our own health and wellbeing, my emergency medicine colleagues at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and Northeast Community Health Centre looked to find ways to support each other. I am proud to have been able to work with an amazing group of colleagues to quickly and efficiently establish a robust and capable peer support program. I am now collaborating with Well Doc Alberta and the physician leads in the Edmonton Zone for Emergency Medicine to expand this program beyond our site with the hopes of supporting the entire zone and beyond.
I am also very proud of the work I have been doing to advocate for pregnant and breastfeeding resident physicians in Alberta. Nearly two years of work including research, education, liaising and meetings has resulted in the identification or creation of appropriate lactation spaces at the four largest teaching hospitals in Edmonton. There is still much work to do in order for breastfeeding to be fully supported and free of barriers for resident physicians, but these first steps have moved us in the right direction. I am now working with an incredible group of physicians and trainees undertaking a scoping review looking at the fertility and pregnancy risks associated with being a resident physician.
For you, what three words describe the current state of physician wellness in Alberta?
- challenged
- essential
- relevant
What three words describe your goals related to physician wellness in Alberta?
- advocacy
- empathy
- evidence-based
As a physician yourself, what is something you do intentionally to take care of your mental health?
I keep a strong personal support network at home, with my clinical and administrative colleagues, and with my friends and family. I express gratitude as often as possible; I choose my battles wisely (both professionally and personally); and I ensure I have safe people and spaces to vent my emotions.
What is your cue that an area of your own wellness needs your attention?
When I find myself losing sleep over interactions which would normally not bother me.
What area of your wellness do you find the most challenging to look after?
Putting down the devices and turning off work without feeling guilty about it.
How is this challenge different now than it was earlier in your career?
Both personally and professionally, I have more responsibilities now than I did earlier in my career. When coupled with the increased prevalence of social media and the ease of electronic communication, this results in an increased expectation of availability and rapid response as compared to when I was first in practice.
If you had a magic wand for physician wellness what would you do?
I would have a greater influence on the systemic issues which have the largest impact on physician health.
What one thing do you want your colleagues to know?
That they are not alone and that there is always somewhere or someone they can safely reach out to for compassionate support.
With respect to physician wellness, what is your Greatest of All Time (#GOAT) and why?
There is no question that my #GOAT is the AMA’s Physician and Family Support Program. The PFSP offers confidential, compassionate and expert advice and support to all physicians and trainees in Alberta any time of any day without exception. I cannot imagine doing what I do without the support of the PFSP.
Roles, titles, accreditations
- RCPSC - Orthopedic Surgery
- Orthopedic Surgeon, Sturgeon Community Hospital, St. Albert, AB
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta
- Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program Director, U of A
When we caught up with Dr. Robert Chan, he was working on The Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alberta’s annual January retreat that has been occurring for the past 15 years. Dr. Chan shared that he feels very fortunate to be in a division where all members, surgeons and residents are valued. The annual retreat has traditionally been about sharing orthopedic knowledge, as well as building relationships and camaraderie.
This past year, it was decided to take a different approach and focus on physician wellness. Along with the efforts of Dr. Sukhdeep Dulai and Dr. Edward Masson, the team put together an agenda believed to help all who attended, develop strategies to manage the tremendous stresses in their lives. Based on the thoughtful and honest feedback by the divisional members after last January’s retreat, this upcoming 16th should be even more enjoyable for all!
Dr. Robert Chan gets our physician wellness #GOAT
Access the full story here
For you, what three words describe the current state of physician wellness in Alberta?
- Challenging
- Improving
- Hopeful
What three words describe your goals related to physician wellness in Alberta?
- Awareness
- Attention
- Action
Tell us about something you are currently working on.
Currently, I am working on restructuring the orthopedic residency program. A successful residency program is more than just meeting the accreditation standards of our College. It is about placing value on the input from our trainees and the teaching staff.
It was mainly based on resident feedback that we made very significant changes to our five-year rotational schedule that was just implemented on July 1, 2019. The changes responded to two main challenges for our training program:
- Resident feedback regarding some PGY5 rotations being heavily service-biased.
- The Royal College implementation of Competence By Design (CBD) curriculum for orthopedic surgery to commence July 1.
Our notable changes involved replacing those heavily service-biased rotations with more educationally balanced ones that, in the end, will hopefully help us address both challenges.
Arguably, this might have negatively impacted the work balance of our teaching staff, but I will closely monitor the effects of these changes. This will certainly not be the end of our ever-evolving residency program!
Roles, titles, accreditations:
- Pediatric General Surgeon, Stollery Children's Hospital
- Site Section Chief for Trauma, Stollery Children's Hospital
- Associate Professor, University of Alberta
- Director of Undergraduate Surgical Education, University of Alberta
When we caught up with Dr. Ioana Bratu, she was working on the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgery (CAPS) Maslach Burnout Inventory Survey. This is an endeavor to measure the physician wellness of the pediatric surgeons in Canada. Working with the CAPS Advocacy Committee, steps to improve certain elements of the pediatric surgeons' personal, professional, and work-related issues are being explored.
Dr. Ioana Bratu gets our physician wellness #GOAT
Access the full story here
For you, what three thoughts describe the current state of physician wellness in Alberta?
- Physician burnout is linked to patient safety.
- There is a growing awareness of the issue with concrete action lagging.
- Physician viewed as a contractor has minimal working condition rights.
What three thoughts describe your goals related to physician wellness in Alberta?
- Increase acceptance that physician wellness is an essential metric of health care system quality.
- Increase awareness that physician wellness affects the personal and professional life of the surgeon and patient safety.
- Support surgeon wellness and promote that it is a shared responsibility at the level of individual, colleagues/peers, physician leaders, institution and government.
Tell us about something you are currently working on.
Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons Advocacy Committee
As a physician yourself, what is something you do intentionally to take care of your mental health?
Eat healthy, exercise, sleep more, and especially escape into painting and sculpting.
What is your cue that an area of your own wellness needs your attention?
If I feel anxious and down, I know I need to take some time to reflect and recharge.
What area of your wellness do you find the most challenging to look after?
Setting boundaries around time/commitments spent on work.
How is that different now than it was earlier in your career?
Earlier on in my career, I would easily accept any new task asked of me. As time went on, this was not sustainable or healthy, and I have begun to learn how to prioritize.
Roles, titles, accreditations:
1. Associate Dean, Learner Advocacy & Wellness
2. Professor of Pediatrics
3. Medical Director, Edmonton Down Syndrome Clinic
4. General Pediatrician, Stollery Children's Hospital
5. Co-Chair, AFMC Student Affairs Committee
Why Dr. Melanie Lewis gets our physician wellness #GOAT
Access the full story here
For you, what three thoughts describe the current state of physician wellness in Alberta?
1. Medical learners and practicing physicians battling to acquire optimal work-life integration.
2. Medical learners and practicing physicians struggling against medical culture and systems that do not support wellness and resilience.
3. Stigma still persists around mental health and continues to be a significant barrier for learners and physicians from reaching out for help.
What three thoughts describe your goals related to physician wellness in Alberta?
1. Improve the health of learners and physicians across the professional continuum.
2. Optimize our culture and systems to promote a healthy work environment.
3. Remove barriers that prevent learners and physicians from seeking help and support.
Tell us about something you are currently working on.
Re-conceptualizing learner health into three categories: personal health, curricular health (composition and flexibility of our jam-packed medical curriculum), and institutional health (mistreatment, collegiality, medical culture and systems).
Roles, titles, accreditations:
- Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Calgary
- Vice Chair, Physician Wellness and Vitality, Department of Medicine, University of Calgary
- Academic physician and consultant in General Internal Medicine
- MD, FRCPC
Why Dr. Jane Lemaire gets our physician wellness #GOAT
Access the full story here
What three words describe the current state of physician wellness?
Evidence-based, hopeful, accelerating
What three words describe your goals of physician wellness?
Unison, sustainability, excellence
What are you currently working on?
Our wellness team is focused on the professional culture and systems level issues that impact patient care and physician wellness. There are many things within the profession that are unpredictable, but there are some context and culture driven factors that we can influence in order to improve both patient care and physician wellness.
Our first Physician Wellness #GOAT to be profiled is Sue Reid, MBBS, FRCPC, Director, Office of Staff Wellbeing, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta and Resident Wellness Rounds Coordinator. To get her perspective on physician wellness, we caught up with her fresh off vacation and preparing to host her podcast series Real People in Anesthesia.
Dr. Sue Reid gets our physician wellness #GOAT
What three words describe the current state of physician wellness?
Burnout. Depression. Imbalance.
What three words (or statements) describe your goals for physician wellness?
Leadership. Institutional and cultural change.
Sharing of challenges and solutions.
What are you currently working on?
In addition to creating my very own podcast, I’m working on next month's Wellness Newsletter, a talk for our residents and a wellness presentation for the Alberta Anesthesia Summit conference. Plus, I’m eagerly anticipating the Canadian and US physician wellness conferences in the fall.
As a physician yourself, what is something you do intentionally to take care of your mental health?
I meditate. I start. I stop. I start again. (I wholeheartedly recommend the Headspace app.)
What is your cue that an area of your own wellness needs your attention?
Losing self-confidence. Feeling overwhelmed. Emotional eating.
What area of your wellness do you find the most challenging to look after?
Physical health and exercise.
How are the challenges of your wellness different now than earlier in your career?
Earlier in my career I didn't have the tools to support my mental health. I became burned out and depressed, but fortunately PFSP was there to help.
What can your colleagues expect from you as the chair of the wellness of anesthesiology?
Passion, enthusiasm, commitment and humor!
If you had the magic wand for physician wellness, what would you do?
I would disable our perfectionism, activate our self-compassion and make self-care the norm.
What one thing do you want your colleagues to know?
We are all human; we are in this together. Put your own oxygen mask on first and don't be afraid to ask for help. Also don't believe everything you think!
With respect to physician wellness, who (or what) gets your #GOAT?
My #GOAT goes to Dr. Gigi Osler*, President-Elect, Canadian Medical Association, who is committed to making the CMA a leader in physician health. She also tweets cute pictures of her adorable dog!
And now just for fun, please choose one in each of the following pairs.
|
Dog or cat? |
Dog |
|
Introvert or extrovert? |
Extrovert |
|
Rural or urban? |
Both! Love all the culture of the city but love to escape to wilderness. |
|
Yoga or Zumba? |
Yoga |
|
Journal or meditate? |
Meditate |
|
Smoothie or protein bar? |
Protein bar |
|
Energy drink or coffee? |
Don't be daft! Good strong English tea, of course ... but never Earl Grey! |
*Editor’s Note: Throughout her campaign, Dr. Osler promised to address physician health, ensure work-life balance and promote leadership development for all physicians. Excellence in medicine runs throughout her family, as Dr. Osler is the great-great-great niece-in-law of Sir William Osler, one of Canada's most famous physicians and former CMA president.
Got #GOAT?
We know many students, residents and physicians are doing good things for their colleagues' wellness. Let us know who gets your physician wellness #GOAT, by emailing pfsp@albertadoctors.org.