Join Melina and Corey for a conversation about the importance of recognizing National Physician Suicide Awareness Day and the work being done to support our healthcare heroes.
The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation: https://drlornabreen.org
SafeHaven: https://safehavenhealth.org
Every day in the U.S., a physician dies by suicide.
Physicians have one of the highest suicide rates of all professions. With between 300 and 400 physician suicides each year, that means, on average, one takes their life every day.
Physician suicide is an epidemic that crosses specialties, genders, and ages. Unfortunately, suicide is not limited to physicians. Medical students and residents are also at risk — in fact, statistics show their risk is even higher.
September 17 is National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, a day created to bring attention to this crisis — to hopefully lead to increased prevention by changing paradigms and breaking down what has long been a culture of silence around physician mental health and suicide.
The statistics on physician suicide are sobering.
More than half of physicians feel inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety. That figure is three-quarters for medical students and 68% for residents.
One-third of physicians feel hopeless or that they have no purpose. That compares to more than half of medical students and 43% of residents.
More than half of physicians know a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide in their career.
One-fifth of physicians know a colleague or peer who has considered suicide in the past year. That rate is one-quarter for medical students, and the same one-fifth for residents.
It is estimated that one million Americans lose their physician to suicide each year.
Eight in 10 physicians and residents, and three-quarters of medical students, agree there is stigma surrounding mental health and seeking mental health care among physicians.
Burnout is one contributing factor of physician suicide. The burnout rate among physicians and residents has increased from 40% to 60% since 2018, with medical students reporting burnout at a 70% rate. Left untreated, burnout can cause depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which can lead to the development of suicidal thoughts.
Today there is greater awareness about the need to recognize and address burnout among physicians, but there is still a long way to go — including finding solutions for the root causes of burnout which, the American Medical Association (AMA) contends, requires fixing “what’s broken in healthcare today — and it’s not the doctor.”
According to the AMA: “The answer lies not in offering us more yoga classes, coffee gift certificates, or dinners with hospital leadership. While wellness has its place, to focus solely on physician resilience is to blame the victim. Curbing burnout for physicians will require actions at the system level, as well as a greater degree of collaboration among clinicians, health systems, insurers, government, medical societies, EHR (Electronic Health Record) vendors and other health system stakeholders.”
Recognizing warning signs of suicide risk among colleagues is one key to physician suicide prevention. The AMA offers a CME module “Identifying and Responding to Suicide Risk” that covers identifying both at-risk patients and colleagues.
One strategy to recognize suicide risk among physicians is physicians being alert to stressors their colleagues may be facing. This could include recent loss of a patient, license restriction, malpractice, financial problems, and a high-capacity workload.
Another important strategy is creating a culture for physicians that is more open to discussions about mental health. Physicians are encouraged to lead by example and talk about their own stories and struggles, which will indicate to colleagues that it is OK for them to do the same.
Providing resources for physicians to seek confidential support when they need it is also critical. MSV’s SafeHaven program does just that, offering clinicians in-person and virtual counseling assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — so they can get the support they need with the confidence their medical licensing will not be at risk.
In fact, that is the final piece of the puzzle for improving the culture around physician mental health: removing barriers to seeking help, when doing so can potentially jeopardize a career. Culture change will require significant policy changes, like changing questions on licensing that discourage physicians from being honest about seeking help.
To learn more about National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, visit https://npsaday.org.
The Nominating Committee considered all eligible candidates for the upcoming term of office. The committee recommends the following slate for consideration by the society membership.
President-Elect | Mark Townsend, MD
Speaker | Michele Nedelka, MD
Vice Speaker | Atul Marathe, MD
Secretary-Treasurer | Art Saavedra, MD
District 2 | Lee Ouyang, MD
District 2 | Sharon Sheffield, MD
District 6 | Mark Kleiner, MD
District 8 | Marc Alembik, MD
District 10 | William Hutchens, MD
District 10 | William Prominski, MD
District 7 | John Mason, MD
MSV Foundation | José Morey, MD
Resident | Matthew Adsit, MD (VCU Orthopedics)
Medical Student | Elizabeth Ransone (VCU)
District 2 | John Sweeney, MD
District 6 | Joe Hutchison, MD
District 8 | Zerline Chambers-Kersey, MD
District 10 | Kevin Donohue, DO
District 7 | Mohit Nanda, MD
Resident | Terry Henry, MD (VCU-Ophthalmology)
Medical Student | Shawn Dziepak (VCOM)
Thomas Eppes, Jr., MD
Michele Nedelka, MD
Lee Ouyang, MD
Joshua Lesko, MD
Mohit Nanda, MD
Josephine Nguyen, MD
District 1 | Sterling Ransone, MD
District 2 | Randolph Gould, MD
District 3 | Clifford Deal, MD
District 5 | Bhushan Pandya, MD
District 6 | Cynda Johnson, MD
District 7 | Claudette Dalton, MD
District 8 | Carol Shapiro, MD
District 9 | Abraham Hardee, DO
District 10 | Andrea Giacometti, MD (ACMS)
Academic | Cynthia Romero, MD (Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU) (Chair)
AMA Advisor | Tom Eppes, MD
2022-2023 Former President Advisor | Harry Gewanter, MD
2023-2024 Former President Advisor | Alice Coombs, MD
The Virginia 500 Power List names the most powerful Virginia executives and officials in business, nonprofits, higher education, government, and politics.
We congratulate our CEO and EVP, Melina Davis, for receiving recognition for her contribution to healthcare on the 2024 Virginia 500 Power List.
Read the full 2024 – 2025 Virginia 500 Power List here.
via VDH
Dear Colleague:
I am writing to provide you with brief updates on pertussis, H5N1, Mpox, and invasive group A Streptococcus (group A strep) disease.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is reporting an increase in pertussis (whooping cough) cases. As of August 1, 2024, more than five times as many cases have been reported compared to the same time last year and exceed pre-pandemic levels. This trend is linked to a rise in pertussis outbreaks across the Commonwealth occurring in group settings, including universities, schools, religious communities, and childcare settings. Outbreaks of pertussis can be large and last for several weeks or longer, impacting both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons.
VDH recommends that healthcare providers:
VDH continues to monitor the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) in poultry and dairy cattle that has resulted in human infections in parts of the United States. At this time, there are no reports of cases in cattle or people in Virginia and the risk of H5N1 infection for the general public remains low. For more information on H5N1, please see VDH’s Avian Influenza webpage.
VDH recommends that healthcare providers:
There has been a noted increase in reported invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) cases and outbreaks in Virginia for the past few years. This increase follows national trends of increasing invasive and noninvasive group A strep cases. In Virginia, an increase in iGAS cases have continued for the first half of 2024, surpassing the number of cases reported in 2023 during the same timeframe.
Healthcare providers should:
CDC recently issued a Health Alert Network health update about the large, ongoing clade I mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It continues to grow and has spread to neighboring countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox to be a public health emergency of international concern on August 14. The risk for Clade I mpox in the general U.S. population is very low. Clade I cases in the U.S. have not been reported.
VDH asks providers to maintain a high index of suspicion of mpox in recent travelers to affected areas and their close contacts. Providers should report suspected cases to the local health department and discuss clade testing at the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services. Mpox cases associated with the ongoing 2022 global outbreak and milder virus strain (Clade II) continue to occur in Virginia. People at risk for mpox can maximize their protection by getting both doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine.
Thank you for your continued partnership and attention to these timely updates.
Sincerely,
Karen Shelton, MD
State Health Commissioner
Virginia Business magazine is conducting its second annual statewide, peer-selected Virginia’s Top Doctors survey. The MSV, in partnership with Virginia Business, is requesting your help in naming the peers you regard as most effective by medical specialty.
The winners will be published in the January 2025 issue of Virginia Business. Click hereto access your secure electronic voting ballot form for Top Doctors, and show your appreciation for your peers and colleagues.
Thank you for participating and recognizing Virginia’s Top Doctors.
Want to share this survey? Please refer your colleagues who are licensed, active doctors to vote at docs.virginiabusinessvoting.com.
Op-ed by Dr. Alfred Abuhamad (Dean, EVMS) and Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. (President, ODU)
Hampton Roads, like many communities across the country, faces a shortage of health care workers. The Association of American Medical Colleges projected that by 2036 the U.S. will face a shortage of as many as 86,000 physicians. Additionally, the global professional services firm Mercer estimates that the United States will be short 3.2 million health care professionals by 2026, and the Health Resources and Services Administration reports that 100 million Americans already live in areas exhibiting primary medical health professions shortages.
Now for the good news…
Melina Davis, CEO of the Medical Society of Virginia, and Ally Jaffee, NHS Psychiatrist, join Dr. Otten to discuss a nationally and internationally growing movement and program: SafeHaven.
Listen now to learn more about the need for confidential support and psychological safety for our healthcare professionals
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced additional key administration and board appointments. Congratulations to MSV members for their appointments:
Dr. Michele Nedelka of Virginia Beach
Radiation Oncologist, Bon Secours Mercy Health
Sandy L. Chung, MD, FAAP, FACHE of Fairfax
Founder and Medical Director, Virginia Mental Health Access Program; CEO, Trusted Doctors
Dr. Walter E. Vest III of Virginia Beach
Retired physician
See the full list of new administration and board appointments here.
The Biden administration is proposing a 2.8% decrease to physician payments in its newly released pay proposal for physicians, drawing near-immediate protest from the industry.
Unveiled Wednesday afternoon, the calendar year 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule outlines new policies focused on primary care, preserved telehealth flexibilities and a strengthened Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP).
However, the release is headlined by a proposal to decrease average base payment rates by 2.93% from calendar year 2024.
That number incorporates statutory requirements that adjustments be “budget neutral,” the expiration of a 2.93% bump included in calendar year 2024 and an adjustment related to the work relative value unit (RVU) portion of certain services, the administration explained in a news release.
Together, this places the proposed rule’s conversion factor—or the number of dollars Medicare pays per RVU—at $32.36—2.8% lower than calendar year 2024’s $33.29.
In statements quickly released after the proposed rule dropped, frustrated physician and industry groups contrasted the “dangerous” baseline reimbursement cut against financial pressures weighing on practices…
