March 30 Is National Doctors' Day
Together, we celebrate our skilled, compassionate, exceptional providers.
EvergreenHealth doctors are highly respected in our community and rightly so. They receive extensive training over the course of many years and have daily, direct impact on the health and well-being of their patients and families as well as colleagues – while demonstrating compassion and the highest ethical standards.
It's not surprising that many doctors – and others – experience burnout at some point in their careers. When we're deeply engaged in meaningful work, it can sometimes feel like a heavy load to bear.
At EvergreenHealth, we embrace The Stanford Model of Professional Fulfillment™ to assess and invest in physician wellness. This model requires organization-wide commitment that includes a culture of wellness and efficiency of practice supported by the organization. EvergreenHealth continues to optimize practice efficiency with the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), staffing, workflows and other focused projects. And we seek feedback from our providers with surveys of well-being. In collaboration with the American Medical Association's Joy in Medicine™ program, we support both practice health and a culture of wellness.
Individuals have their own role to play as they learn to develop and sustain personal resilience. In my own professional life, I've come across an approach to work fatigue that works nicely with this model. It could apply to all of us: Instead of focusing on what to remove from our work life, we might shift to what we can add to our non-work life – to fuel our gas tank, strengthen our personal resilience and seek balance. For me it might be taking up a new hobby or sport, volunteering with an organization that is meaningful to me, or investing in personal relationships in a deeper way.
The key is intentional addition – introducing small but powerful elements into daily life that counterbalance the demands of our work.
And in fact, our own well-being is foundational to the quality of the work we perform. If we can tip the balance toward restored energy, greater joy and deeper meaning – we'll contribute to the greater good of our community.
And now, in the spirit of health and well-being for all, please join me in thanking a doctor today.
