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Physician Colleagues Services
PHYSICIAN COLLEAGUES PROGRAM
Physicians increasingly tell us that the joy they once experienced in their practice of medicine has faded or is gone altogether. The threat of malpractice, managed care and business pressures, time pressures and long hours, constant and intense involvement with people, critical decision-making under pressure, decreased autonomy, and expectations from patients—all contribute to stress and potentially burnout. Hospitals and other health care organizations are faced with questions of how to support physicians, and at the same time they expect more and more of them.
Physician Colleagues Program offers staff physicians the opportunity to develop relationships, explore values, and create community in a safe setting, under the guidance of a skilled facilitator.
The core idea is that healthy, positive, and productive physician-organization relationships contribute to quality patient care and a positive patient experience. Your organization joins forces with Lumunos, a national organization, providing retreats and programs that use peer support and reflection exercises to help people live with more meaning and purpose.
Goals:
1. To develop a healthy physician community and organizational culture.
2. To offer physicians ways to find or recover balance in their lives and enhance the sense of meaning in their vocation.
3. To improve the quality of patient care as measured by HCAPHS scores.
4. To form a highly functioning team communicating effectively leading to excellent patient outcomes.
5. To honor the time demands of busy physicians.
6. To align with and support the hospital’s strategic efforts.
Description
The basic structure of the program includes:
1. Annual Retreat (spouses and families included if desired)
2. Quarterly Gatherings with Lumunos on site.
3. Monthly 30 minute Video Conference or Small Group Meeting
a. Content and small group discussion on a given topic
b. Led by Lumunos via video conference or in person
4. Weekly Email with reflection questions
5. Affinity Groups which are small groups of physicians gathered around a shared topic or activity for purposes of support and collegiality
a. Led by physicians trained and coached by Lumunos
b. Examples include Skiing Group; Art/Creativity Group; Journal Discussion Group for C.M.E. Credit
Examples of topics for quarterly gatherings and email reflections include: Dealing with Change; Vocation; Family Life; Recreation and Leisure; Service vs. Business.
For over 70 years, Lumunos has gathered diverse people in groups to help them discover what matters most and to support making choices around those deeper values.
In its retreats and programs, Lumunos uses a relational group process which provides a way for people to reflect on their lives, connect with what matters most, and discover next steps. Storytelling, reflection questions, and establishing common ground for support of one another are Lumunos core competencies.
The Physician Colleagues Program is directed by Doug Wysockey-Johnson, Executive Director of Lumunos.