September 17, 2022 is recognized as National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (#NPSADay). #NPSADay is a reminder and call to action to help everyone prevent physician suicide. It’s a time to talk — and to act — so physicians’ struggles don’t become mental health emergencies.
How? By learning the signs, starting the conversations, understanding the underlying barriers, and sharing the resources that can help those in distress seek mental healthcare.
The Medical Society of Virginia and its program SafeHaven™ are committed to raising awareness of the physician suicide epidemic and galvanizing physicians, their colleagues, and their loved ones to create a culture of well-being that prioritizes reducing burnout, safeguarding job satisfaction, and viewing seeking mental health services as a sign of strength.
We want you to join us! Visit NPSAday.org to learn more about ways to take action on #NPSADay, and use #NPSADay to spread the word today.
SafeHaven™ provides physicians and other clinicians a discreet, confidential set of resources so they can stay well, avoid burnout, and connect to their purpose.
SafeHaven™ is available for physicians, PAs, nurses, pharmacists, as well as medical, nursing, PA, and pharmacy students, and their family members. SafeHaven’s resources can help manage a variety of work and life challenges, including behavioral health and mental health struggles. Learn more and enroll at the SafeHaven™ website.
The bill establishes in the Virginia Code legal protections for a professional program which addresses issues related to burnout by Doctor of Medicine or osteopathic medicine, PAs, NPs, nurses, pharmacists, and students of medicine, PA, nursing and pharmacy.
The law expands civil immunity for those practitioners who serve as members of or consultants to the MSV SafeHaven™ program, providing help to clinicians experiencing burnout. Clinicians participating in the SafeHaven™ program will not be reported unless they are not competent to practice or are a danger to themselves or others.
Consultations under SafeHaven™ are considered privileged communications and only under extraordinary circumstances and in very rare cases would the communication become discoverable in litigation proceedings.
