Well-being & Resilience

Faculty members experience numerous stressors throughout their careers. Increasing regulatory burdens and evolving care delivery models create more administrative responsibilities that leave less time for patients and students. Clinical adverse events frequently result in emotional turmoil and distress for everyone involved.

Developing resilience leads to a more satisfying career and lowers the risk of burnout. By embracing wellness and improving personal resiliency, faculty members can reconnect with the meaning of their work and fend off stress. Reducing or eliminating burnout also has practical implications for the entire department such as improving patient safety, student advancement, and the overall campus environment.

Dr. Jenny Reese serves in the role of Medical Director of Provider Well-being for Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Director of Faculty Well-being, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine. In these roles, Dr. Reese will help lead efforts to promote well-being through individual practice training and systems-based efforts. Peer support programs and team-based interventions are available.

Dr. Reese leads the CHCO Faculty Well-being Advisory Committee. If you would like more information about this committee or are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Reese at jennifer.reese@childrencolorado.org

Faculty Well-being Advisory Committee Members

Faculty Well-Being Advisory Committee – Anschutz Medical Campus

Faculty Well-Being Advisory Committee – Colorado Springs Campus

 

CHCO Faculty Well-being Advisory Committee Charter

July 2020

Leading Statement:  Developing resilience among health care providers is essential and attainable1.  There is increasing discussion about the impact of physician burnout on patient experience, and health care quality and safety2.  Resilience is also an important factor in career satisfaction and success, improving work as teachers, and enhancing professionalism and institutional culture of well-being.  A coordinated effort to promote resilience and well-being for Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO)-based faculty and medical staff is needed.  Our vision is that in the future, resilience and well-being is integrated and enculturated into everything we do—a set of behaviors we practice every day, not simply when someone needs help.

The Purpose of this committee is to:

  • Organize and coordinate efforts to promote well-being for CHCO-based faculty and medical staff.  This includes soliciting input, evaluating data, providing education, implementing and evaluating programs, and communicating priorities to CHCO partners and faculty leaders.

Scope 

  • CHCO-based faculty and medical staff, Anschutz medical campus, and CHCO Network of Care sites
  • CHCO Residents and Fellows

Success Criteria / Measures

  • Faculty Retention/evaluation of turnover, (differentiate between desirable vs. concerning reasons for turnover) by conducting exit-interviews of departing faculty.
  • Other surveys/outcome measures specific to interventions
  • Publication of program implementation and outcomes (manuscripts, presentations at national meetings, etc.)
  • Faculty Medical Staff Satisfaction Surveys, engagement scores

Resource Needs

  • Time and energy from council members
  • Administrative support
  • Endorsement and support from faculty and CHCO leadership

Team Structure

  • Medical Director of Provider Well-being, CHCO reports to CHCO Chief Medical and Patient Safety Officer
  • CHCO Well-Being Advisory Committee
    • Led by Medical Director of Provider Well-being, CHCO
    • Members representing all sections at CHCO
    • Meet every 4-6 weeks as appropriate
    • Identify priorities, execute programs, provide feedback to CHCO and CU SOM leadership
    • Represent CHCO-based faculty and medical staff related to well-being efforts
    • Integrate with other programs and committees such as Diversity and Inclusion, to support and collaborate on efforts
  • Committee Membership Roles and Responsibilities
    • Attend meetings as able
    • Participate in program education, curriculum offerings
    • Participate in program development and execution as feasible
    • Solicit input from their section members
    • Convey information to their section members
    • Participate in and attend national committees related to well-being as appropriate (e.g. AAP, APA, national specialty organizations)
    • Foster an environment consistent with a “safe space” where faculty are comfortable sharing their concerns and questions
    • Embrace diversity and inclusion

References

  1. Zwack and Schweitzer.  If Every Fifth Physician in Affected by Burnout, What About the Other Four?  Resilience Strategies of Experienced Physicians.  Academic Medicine, Vol. 88, No.3/March 2013
  2. Bodenheimer and Sinsky.  From Triple to Quadruple Aim:  Care of the Patient Required Care of the Provider.  Ann Fam Med 2014;12:573-576.
  3. Epstein and Krasner.  Physician Resilience:  What it Means, Why it Matters, and How to Promote it.  Academic Medicine, Vol. 88, No. 3/March 2013