Well-Being & Resilience

Resources

• ​CU Anschutz Well-Being Resources
• Emotional and Behavioral Health Support Resources (Children's, CU School of Medicine)
• COVID-19 Resources
• American Academy of Pediatrics Physician Health and Wellness
  
• National Academy of Medicine Clinician Resilience and Well-being

CU Mental Health and Support Resources for CU SOM Faculty

1. If you have a more URGENT or CRISIS need, please call 911, go to nearest Emergency Dept or contact: Colorado Crisis Services 
1-844-493-TALK 

2. Real Help Hotline
The Real Help Hotline gives you access to professional counselors who can offer assistance finding local resources or provide immediate crisis counseling. It’s a free and confidential service and it’s available 24/7. The service is available to all members covered under any of CU’s medical insurance plans.

3. CU Department of Psychiatry Faculty and Staff Mental Health Clinic 
Phone number 303 724-4987 or click link above to request appointment online or, email benny.chester@cuanschutz.edu  (clinical director). It takes about two weeks to get an appointment, but appointments can possibly be made sooner based on need. You should expect a response to phone or email request in 24-48 business hours.

• Virtual or In-person visits
• Accept most insurance including CU Anschutz Anthem Plans
• Those with Kaiser Permanente can access mental health services by calling 303-471-7700.

4. Colorado Physician Health Program

• Call 303-860-0122
• CPHP provides the peer assistance services for licensed physicians and physician assistants of Colorado.
• Peer assistance services aid individuals who have any problems that would affect one’s health such as emotional, psychological or medical problems. For example, CPHP assists its clients with medical and/or psychiatric conditions (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, HIV infection, depression or substance abuse) as well as psychosocial conditions (e.g. family problems or stress related to work or professional liability difficulties).

5. Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Call 303-866-4314 or complete on-line form to request mental health counseling, leader consultation, critical incident response, mediation, or webinar and facilitation services. 

6. Faculty Well-being Committee Peer Support and Coaching Network

• Over 160 faculty members trained as peer supporters, available for support after adverse clinical events
• Contact jennifer.reese@childrenscolorado.org for more questions or to be connected with a peer supporter 

7. Additional information about CU mental health resources 

8.  CU Johnson Depression Center

Peer Support Network Members

• Peer Support Network Members—Anschutz Medical Campus
• Peer Support Program--Colorado Springs

Background

Healthcare workers are exposed to a variety of emotionally and physically difficult situations. As a result, healthcare workers are at risk for traumatization following an unanticipated adverse event. This traumatization, when unsupported, can lead to difficulty sleeping, anxiety, isolation, leaving the workforce, and other physical symptoms (Scott, 2009; Wu, 2000).

Because of the direct impact on the team members involved in adverse medical events, the effort to support team members immediately and thereafter is crucial to their own personal success, emotional safety, and patient safety.

Purpose

The purpose of the Peer Support program is to respond to team members affected by adverse events in a standardized way, modeled after successful programs at other institutions.

Program Vision

Peer Supporters will be available to all team members by training selected providers and leaders to serve as immediate peer supporters, following adverse clinical events, and specific trigger events within each section. Trigger events include but aren’t limited to:

• Unexpected death
• Difficult diagnoses
• Serious Safety Events
• Quality/Safety Events resulting in additional investigation (Root Cause Analysis or Apparent Cause Analysis)
• Provider Review Team (PRT) referral

Program Structure

• Peer Support Program is operated under the CHCO Faculty Well-being Advisory Committee (link to FWBAC Charter)
• As feasible, each section or department has one or more designated Peer Supporters.
• Each section completes a Peer Support Program Description specific to their section, including the following information:
  • who are peer supporters
  • what are trigger events that should result in a peer support reaching out to impacted providers
  • what are means of peer supporters being notified of adverse events/trigger events
  • what are means of communication for peer supporters reaching out to affected providers (email, call, text, etc.)
• Each section’s Peer Support Program leader(s) presents the overview of the program to their section members, and ensures that section leadership is aware of and endorsing the program

Criteria for Peer Supporters

• Must be a faculty member or medical staff provider in good standing (no ongoing professionalism or practice concerns)
• Participation in program must be endorsed by section head, and /or other section leaders
• Peer Supporters may be nominated by anyone in their section or other sections
• Must be a trusted peer among faculty (someone that peers are likely to be comfortable talking to)
• Must uphold the expectations of the Faculty Well-being Advisory Committee including
  • 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

Foundational education for all Peer Supporters

• All Peer Supporters attend a 2-hour training focusing on Peer Support and Coaching conversation, facilitated by Jenny Reese, Scott Markowitz and/or their designees, and follow-up skill-building and check in sessions as feasible.
• Training includes best practices endorsed by legal affairs and risk management to mitigate “risk” of these conversations being discoverable or useful if litigation of an event occurs
• Training includes criteria for mandatory reporting, and resources for referral if concerning situations arise
• Fundamentals of training optimize confidentiality and psychological safety for providers receiving support

Outcome Measures and Reporting Plan

• Over time the program will track volume of peer support conversations, while maintaining confidentiality and not tracking any names, case details, etc.
• Ongoing Medical Staff Survey data will track well-being measures, which are likely affected by peer support programs; and may include questions specific to peer support utilization in the future
• Peer Support Program outcomes will be reported to CMO and Medical Executive Committee Annually or as requested

References

Scott, S.D. et al. (2010) Caring for our Own: Deployment of a Second Victim Rapid Response System.   The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. 36(5):233-240.

Scott, S.D.  Second Victim Support: Implications for Patient Safety Attitudes and Perceptions. Scott. WWW.PSQH.COM Sept/Oct 2015

Burlison et al.  The Effects of the Second Victim Phenomenon on Work-Related Outcomes: Connecting Self-Reported Caregiver Distress to Turnover Intentions and Absenteeism.  J Patient Saf

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