Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.
Prevention efforts and treatment approaches for addiction are generally as successful as those for other chronic diseases.
ASAM, founded in 1954, is a professional medical society representing over 6,000 physicians, clinicians and associated professionals in the field of addiction medicine. ASAM is dedicated to increasing access and improving the quality of addiction treatment, educating physicians and the public, supporting research and prevention, and promoting the appropriate role of physicians in the care of patients with addiction.
Learn More on ASAM’s Website
Chapter 34, “Addiction Among Physicians and Physician Health Programs”, was co-authored by Dr. Paul H. Earley and Dr. Chris Bundy.
The Foundation’s mission is to reduce burnout of health care professionals and safeguard their well-being and job satisfaction. We envision a world where seeking mental health services is universally viewed as a sign of strength for health care professionals.
Mission:
To support physician health programs in improving the health of medical professionals, thereby contributing to quality patient care.
Vision:
A society of highly effective PHPs advancing the health of the medical community and the patients they serve.
Guiding Values:
- Membership: The FSPHP is dedicated to enhancing the value of membership and upholding an environment of fellowship and networking.
- Advocacy: The FSPHP strengthens PHPs by promoting best practices and providing guidelines, advocacy, and other resources that enhance their effectiveness. The FSPHP encourages partnerships between physician health programs, regulatory boards, and other appropriate components of organized medicine.
- Collaboration: The FSPHP fosters collaboration and engagement with other national and international medical organizations.
- Equality: The FSPHP opposes discrimination against physicians and the medical community solely based on the presence of a particular diagnosis or other discriminatory factors and supports the use of PHP services in lieu of disciplinary action whenever possible.
- Education: The FSPHP supports education and research designed to establish best practices for the prevention, treatment, and monitoring of physicians experiencing substance use disorders, mental illness, physical illness, and other potentially impairing conditions.
In the spring of 2021, Dr. Earley presented at the National Alliance of Alternative Programs conference. His presentation described the evolution and goals of the 2019 Guidelines for Physician Health Programs a multi-year project of the Federation of State Physician Health Programs. These guidelines help professional health programs (PHPs) and the providers who care for PHP participants work towards uniform standards of care. PHPs and PHP providers, like all of medicine, strive for continuous quality improvement. Dr. Earley’s presentation describes the development process and goals of the 2019 revision of this important document. Click on the image below to view the presentation.
FSPHP strongly advocates for the use of empirical data to understand physician health program outcomes and continually works with PHP member programs and subject matter experts to move this effort forward.
International Doctors in Alcoholics Anonymous (IDAA) is a worldwide fellowship of more than 9,900 healthcare professionals and their families who strive to help one another to achieve and maintain recovery from addictions.
- 10 Most Common Misconceptions About Addictions
- Al-Anon
- Aloholics Anonymous
- American Academy of Addiction Psychiatrists (AAAP)
- American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC)
- American College of Physicians (ACP)
- American College of Physicians: Physician Well-being and Professional Fullfilment
- American Medical Assocation (AMA)
- American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
- Cocaine Anonymous
- Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
- Georgia Addiction Counselors Association (GACA)
- Georgia Association of Medical Staff Assistants (GAMSS)
- Georgia Association of Physicians Assistants (GAPA)
- Georgia Composite Medical Board (GCMB)
- Georgia Nurses Association (GNA)
- Georgia Pharmacy Association (GPhA)
- Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association (GPPA)
- Georgia Society for Respiratory Care (GSRC)
- Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists (GSA)
- Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA)
- International Doctors in Alcoholics Anonymous (IDAA)
- Medical Association of Georgia (MAG)
- Narcolics Anonymous
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- National Institute of Health (NIH)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
FREE training available to anyone but tailored to veterinary professionals.
This training was put together by the UW School of Social Work Forefront Suicide Prevention Program
Please share far and wide with those you know who care for veterinary professionals!
https://intheforefront.org/preventing-suicide-in-veterinary-professionals/
Physician Wellness/Burnout Articles
- Healthcare Provider Behavioral and Mental Health Needs: Where Can They Go? (Rural Health Information Hub, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health)
Physician Burnout: Definition(s), Cause(s), Impact(s), Solution(s) (Rural Health Information Hub, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health) Burnout: Measurement Tool(s), Cause(s) and Impact(s) (Rural Health Information Hub, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health) Doctor Burnout, Stress and Depression: Not an Easy Fix (US News & World Report) Burnout at Work Isn’t Just About Exhaustion (Harvard Business Review) Physician Burnout Rates Top 50 Percent (and That’s Not the Worst Finding) (Huffington Post) Physician Burnout: It Just Keeps Getting Worse (Medscape) Physician Suicide (Canadian Medical Association Journal) Rise up Now – Clinician Burnout: National Academy of Medicine (YouTube – Cleavon MD) Self-Care is a ‘Necessity’ for Doctors, Experts Say (TheHealthScience.com) The Surprising Power of Simply Asking Co-workers How They’re Doing (Harvard Business Review) Three Good Things exercise(developed by Martin Seligman, Ph.D/ActionForHappiness.org)
Tools/Self-Assessment
- Are you a workaholic?(Quiz from psychotherapist Bryan Robinson, PhD)
- Burnout Self-test (MindTools.com)
- Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory (CelebratingYourJourney.com)
- Professional Quality of Life Measures (ProQOL.org)
- Stress Management Tools (MindTools.com)
- Zung Depression Scale
Physician Wellness/Burnout Resources
- ACGME Physician Well-Being News & Features
- ACGME Symposium on Physician Well-Being
- ACGME Tools and Resources for Resident and Faculty Member Well-Being
- AMA – Physician Burnout
- AMA – Steps Forward – Education Hub – Professional Well-Being
- AMA – Take practical steps toward a healthier culture for medicine
- American College of Sports Medicine – Exercise is Medicine: A Global Health Initiative
- The National Association of Medicine Resource Center – Physician Health and Well-Being – Articles
- The National Association of Medicine Resource Center – Physician Health and Well-Being – Toolkits
12-Step Support Groups
Other Helpful Resources
- Physician Coaching: A Professional Advantage (A.M. Akwari LLC)
- Atlanta Mindfulness Institute
- Clinician Well-Being Knowledge Hub
- Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project
- ePhysicianHealth.com
- Mindfulness Center of Atlanta/Offering Mindfulness Meditation
- National Academy of Medicine
- If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
Georgia PHP
The Georgia Professional Health Program is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the well-being of medical professionals in Georgia, providing confidential referral, treatment oversight, and monitoring of potentially impairing conditions, mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
Our goal is to ensure the health of healthcare professionals and to ensure that they are safe to practice in their specialty. Since August 2012, the Georgia PHP has provided services for physicians, physician assistants and respiratory therapists licensed in Georgia.
The Georgia PHP is sponsored by the Georgia Composite Medical Board and maintains an active relationship with the organization to ensure the success of the Georgia PHP and its participants.
It is our belief that healthy professionals provide the best healthcare.
For more information on the Georgia PHP, news and events, visit www.gaphp.org or 1-855-MY-GAPHP