Crisis Intervention and Prevention
As most WSMA members are too sadly aware, physicians, who devote their
lives to easing others' suffering, die by their own hands
at higher rates
than the general population. The WSMA offers the following reminder to its
members that physician-focused help and resources are available to them
and their colleagues in times of need.
Washington Physicians Health Program
The WSMA encourages members to contact the Washington Physicians Health
Program at 800.552.7236 or 206.583.0127 if you or someone you know is in
distress and needs personal assistance. All calls are confidential. While
participating in the WPHP program, practitioners may continue to practice
without being exposed to disciplinary action by their medical staff or
state medical board as long as they do not become disruptive or threaten
to compromise patient care. Visit
www.wphp.org to learn more about the
program and its role in helping physicians.
Vital Signs
To help raise greater awareness about the physician suicide epidemic and
to provide physicians the tools to attend to their own well-being, the
Physicians Foundation has launched
Vital Signs, a
new educational campaign. Vital Signs features a webpage to help
understand the warning signs to look for in someone who may be suicidal
and provides a guide to help start a conversation with a physician about
whom a colleague may be concerned.
Learn more.