In the latest episode of the MGMA Women in Healthcare Podcast, host Adrienne Lloyd sits down with Jenny Reese, Professor and Section Head of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Colorado. Reese is also the Vice Chair for Faculty Well-Being and Assistant Dean of Faculty Well-Being. Reese shares her journey in healthcare, from building her career in pediatric hospital medicine to developing programs that support physician well-being. Together, they explore key topics such as mental health destigmatization, faculty mentorship, and system efficiency to reduce burnout.
Major Takeaways from the Episode:
- Mental Health and Burnout in Healthcare: Reese emphasizes the need to destigmatize mental health conversations among healthcare professionals. She notes that while progress has been made in discussing physician burnout and well-being, there is still a long way to go.
- “We’re the worst patients,” Reese says, acknowledging the tendency of healthcare workers to neglect their own well-being. She encourages leaders to create systems that offer support rather than leaving physicians to struggle alone.
- Building a Faculty Wellness Program: Reese shares how her personal experiences led her to spearhead faculty wellness initiatives at the University of Colorado. Initially, she was encouraged by a mentor to develop a proposal for a faculty wellness program, which eventually took shape after two to three years of effort.
- Crediting the support of leaders and colleagues who believed in the importance of this work, Reese says, “It took a good two to three years before things really started taking hold.”
- Strategies for Addressing Burnout: Reese advocates for a comprehensive approach to well-being, which includes addressing both individual practices and system efficiencies. She stresses the importance of not only offering wellness practices such as yoga and meditation but also optimizing workplace systems to reduce inefficiencies.
- “You can’t ask people to meditate their way out of a bad system,” Reese notes, underscoring the need to address frustrations with processes like the electronic health record (EHR) or other workflow inefficiencies.
- The Importance of Values Alignment: Reese encourages medical professionals to regularly reflect on their personal values and ensure they align with their work. She cites research by Tate Shanafelt, which shows that spending at least 20% of one’s time on meaningful work is protective against burnout.
- Highlighting the importance of aligning daily tasks with personal fulfillment, Reese asks, “What are your values at your core? What gives you meaning and purpose?”
- Faculty Mentorship and Peer Support: Under Reese’s leadership, the University of Colorado developed a robust faculty mentorship program, which includes wellness discussions and peer support. This program allows physicians to talk openly about challenges and receive guidance from experienced mentors.
- “Having conversations with leaders and influencers who can support the work was key,” says Reese, explaining the importance of collaboration in building a supportive culture.
- Optimizing System Efficiencies to Improve Job Satisfaction: Reese collaborates with colleagues to address system-level frustrations, such as inefficiencies in the EHR, which can contribute to burnout. She highlights the use of small grants to support faculty in these efforts and the importance of measuring outcomes.
- “It’s gratifying to be able to show a financial return on investment through improved efficiency and job satisfaction,” Reese explains, emphasizing the importance of tracking the impact of system changes.
- Personal Well-Being Practices: On a personal note, Reese shares her own strategies for maintaining well-being, which include riding her bike through the mountains. She encourages others to find activities that bring them joy and to cultivate strong support networks.
- Reese recommends healthcare workers identify key individuals they can turn to for support and validation, adding that "I have my go-tos."
Resources Mentioned:
- Drive by Daniel Pink – A book that explores the drivers of intrinsic motivation, focusing on autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
- PERMA Model of Well-Being by Martin Seligman – A framework that outlines the key elements of psychological well-being.
Resources:
To see other episodes of the Women in Healthcare Podcast, watch the video versions on YouTube, or apply to be on an upcoming episode, please visit: https://bit.ly/womeninhealthcarepodcast
MGMA Resources:
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