At the 9/16/19 faculty meeting, I highlighted our many accomplishments, provided information about our finances, celebrated faculty who had been promoted, and discussed plans for new programs and initiatives.
Most importantly, I was delighted to report that, as measured the Maslach Burnout Inventory survey, 30% fewer Internal Medicine faculty reported burnout symptoms in 2019 (38%) as compared to 2016 (55%). We will continue to develop departmental initiatives that have contributed to this remarkable improvement, and to collaborate with YSM, YM and YNHHS on solving broader issues beyond our scope.
In that context, I also discussed the work of the Clinician Well-Being Committee. This committee was formed in 2018 by Dean Alpern in response to surveys carried out in 2016 that indicated a high rate of burnout and overall dissatisfaction among the faculty. It was charged with addressing clinicians’ well-being and burnout, and providing recommendations for improvement.
Walter Longo, MD, and I served as co-chairs, the clinical departments were broadly represented, and Mary Hu (Chief Communications Officer) provided outstanding logistical support for the team. We met over a one-year period, reviewed the current literature on wellness, burnout and climate, and solicited input from clinicians from all the clinical departments.
We identified four overarching themes:
- Improving workplace efficiency
- Re-establishing autonomy and control
- Encouraging and facilitating belonging and being part of a team
- Achieving work-life balance
The committee made three overall recommendations:
- Create a joint YSM/YNHH Chief Wellness Officer
- Plans to have this person in place by September 2020
- Appoint a high-level person in every department/section for wellness
- Create YSM/YNNH Wellness Center
In addition, each subcommittee (one assigned to each theme) created a list of recommendations within their focus area.
I urge you to read the complete report posted here. We welcome your feedback using this link.
And with your help, we can even do better!
To view the full presentation, please click on the link.