Featured Articles & Podcasts about PHPsArticlesOut of the shadows: Physicians share their mental health struggles One physician in this article shares that with the help of her department, she connected with the state physician health program, the organization that provides confidential assessments and resources for providers. Seeking help did not affect her medical license, and she returned to practice after the PHP cleared her. Doctors face high rates of mental health challenges, but they often hide their stories due to shame and fear of professional fallout. Four physicians reveal their journeys in the hopes of reducing stigma and inspiring others to seek care. Physician Health Programs: Changing the Culture of Medicine One of the easiest, most effective ways to support physicians with mental health issues, including addiction, is utilizing PHP services. PHPs are organizations that provide confidential support and advocacy for physicians and other healthcare professionals who suffer from potentially impairing health conditions including addiction, psychiatric illness, nonpsychiatric medical conditions, cognitive disorders, and workplace-related stress and burnout. FSPHP Responds to Article on Treatment of Health Professionals with Opioid Use Disorder The Federation of State Physician Health Programs, INC (FSPHP) President, Dr. Scott Hambleton, President-elect, Dr. Michael Baron, and former FSPHP President Dr. Chris Bundy respond to a recent article published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine on the treatment of health professionals with opioid use disorder (OUD). The initial article, “Helping the Helpers — making access to buprenorphine a new standard of care for physicians in state monitoring programs,” was published in the July 2022 issue of the Journal. Its authors make the case that the Federation of State Medical Board’s (FSMB) recommendations concerning the use of buprenorphine for physicians in state-affiliated monitoring programs fall short of effectively permitting an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder. Drs. Hambleton, Bundy, and Baron call attention to the article’s omission of relevant references including the FSPHP Position Statement, FSPHP Safety Considerations for Medication Treatment for Monitored Health Professional, and the FSMB Policy on Physician Illness and Impairment – A Model to Optimize Patient Safety and Physician Health. In summary, the response states that “ Treatment of safety-sensitive workers with OUD is challenging, and neither a prohibition against the use of buprenorphine nor a mandate for its use is appropriate. Physician Health Programs must effectively manage the complex issues related to licensure and fitness for duty for safety-sensitive workers. Physician Health Programs save careers and lives. Addressing the education gap regarding PHP services can help to reduce stigma and incentivize early treatment and may serve as a model for helping all patients with addiction. Read the original article in the Journal of Addiction Medicine. Read the FSPHP Letter to the Editor. Read the original author’s response to the FSPHP letter. How Doctors with Addiction Heal and Return to Practice Journalist, Andrea Goto, reached out to FSPHP several months ago with the most admirable goal to show physicians a way to recover by example, and to meaningfully and accurately describe PHPS, and FSPHP. This Medscape article includes a useful succinct overview of the issue and helps physicians understand the resources of PHPS, and a path toward a return to practice, with hyperlinks, and references. When healers need help: Recovery programs for health care workers offer specialized care Dr. Molly Rossingnol, FSPHP Member, and Medical Director of the NH PHP contributes to this impactful article which nicely summarizes the value of PHPs and health professional recovery programs. The article addresses the specific challenges that face the health care workforce. “The evidence is there that these programs work,” said Dr. Molly Rossignol, medical director of the N.H. Professionals Health Program, a monitoring and treatment referral nonprofit for health care professionals with a substance-use disorder. “It’s accountability, it takes a lot of work, it’s a huge commitment, but it certainly works.” Much thanks to Michael McCormick and those who contributed “…McCormick said that by being with peers, health care workers in the program can be more vulnerable in group settings, which can help them recover.” Physician Health Programs are Essential for Protecting Public Health ‘Why Do I Put My Life on the Line?’ Pandemic Trauma Haunts Health Workers Curbside Consultation: Caring for the Physician Affected by Substance Use Disorder Adaptations to Substance Use Disorder Monitoring by Physician Health Programs in Response to COVID-19* Success Rates of Monitoring for Healthcare Professionals with a Substance Use Disorder: A Meta-Analysis FSPHP supports the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S. 4349) Doctors’ Exemplary Treatment Success Occurs Absent High Use of Buprenorphine Personal Privacy Versus Public Safety: Addiction Among Health Professionals CART VERDICT: “Physician health programs are highly successful and are the gold standard for abstinence-based treatment. Lessons can be gleaned from their structure and applied to other models, including the importance of a contingency management framework and long-term monitoring.” Physicians and Other Healthcare Professionals with Addiction Healthcare Professionals’ Mental Health Needs: Where Can They Go? Professional Duties Require Physicians to Recognize and Address Physician Illness and Impairment, but It Is Often Difficult to Recognize a Colleague's Condition and Find an Appropriate Way of Reporting and Resolving It Programs and Resources to Alleviate Concerns with Mental Health Disclosures on Physician Licensing Applications Beyond “Heal Thyself”: Physicians as Patients—An Uneasy Role Physician Impairment and Rehabilitation: Reintegration Into Medical Practice While Ensuring Patient Safety: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians by Philip J. Candilis, MD; Daniel T. Kim, MA, MPH; Lois Snyder Sulmasy, JD; for the ACP Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee June 18, 2019 Physician Suicide Top Doctor Opioid Addict – Recovers and Returns to Medicine Interaction Between PHPs and Training Programs: Disruptive Behavior in Residents Investing in Physicians' Well-Being is Just Good Business Physician Health Programs and the Social Contract Ulliance Re-awarded the Health Professional Recovery Program RFP 2016 Performance Enhancement Review Guidelines Physician Health and Professional Secrecy An Outsider Looks at PHP Care Management Physician Health Programmes and Malpractice Claims: Reducing Risk through Monitoring Podcasts & VideosNDPHP30 VER1C PHP 30 Years of Change Along with host Brian Fortenberry, Dr. Stephen Loyd discusses his intimate struggle with opioid addiction. For three years, Dr. Loyd was addicted to painkillers while working as a physician. In one hand, he had everything anyone would want in life. In the other, a handful of pills. He discusses how finding the Tennessee Medical Foundation helped get him out of addiction. Confessions of a Recovering Addict MPAP Legacy Video Physician Suicide |