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Physician Well-Being

Take a moment to get outside and breathe in the view!

 

GME Counselor: Lucy White, MEd, LPC-MHSP

 

Wellness Stones

 

Emergency Medicine Wellness Day

 

Internal Medicine Wellness Day

Your residency or fellowship can be one of the most rewarding yet challenging times of your life. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine - Chattanooga and its Graduate Medical Education (GME) Programs recognize that you need to concentrate on your own emotional and physical well-being to help you better serve your patients as well as lead a healthier, happier life. We promote a variety of resources that can and should be used to help maintain your well-being by lowering your stress, identifying problem areas, avoiding burnout, and learning how to achieve a healthy work-life balance.  

The UTHSC College of Medicine - Chattanooga provides a full-time, onsite Counselor supporting our Graduate & Undergraduate Medical Education Programs (Residents, Fellows, Medical and PA Students, Faculty, and departmental administrative staff):

Lucy White, MEd, LPC-MHSP, Counselor
Educational & Behavioral Counseling Services
Counseling Phone:  423.778.9420
Counseling Office Location:  Whitehall Building, Suite 516

Lucy provides individual, onsite, completely confidential counseling services -- at no cost to individuals -- for Residents, Fellows, Medical/PA Students, Faculty, and UT Departmental Administrative Staff.  She is available for sessions in a private area in the Whitehall Building (Suite 516) which is separate from the Dean's Offices in that building.  Services include private counseling as well as group didactics and coaching meetings.  Zoom and offsite private sessions are also possible if needed.  She is available Mon - Fri, 8:30 am - 5 pm, but provides flexible hours particularly later on Tue and Thu whenever possible.

In addition to onsite counseling, our campus offers access to similar services (in-person, via phone, and/or Zoom) through a physician well-being initiative called LifeBridge Chattanooga and sponsored by the UTHSC College of Medicine Chattanooga and the local Chattanooga - Hamilton County Medical Society. The program was launched in September 2018 and is confidential and open to physicians, including our residents and fellows, and to medical students and PA students rotating with our campus. Costs are supported by grants and donations to the Medical Society and there are no charges or insurance filings for those utilizing the services.

Dr. Schwartzberg (DIO) having fun with several of our Pediatrics Residents at Thank a Resident Day 2024.

UT and Erlanger Leadership host Thank a Resident Day 2024.

Dean James Haynes, MD, thanking so many residents for attending our luncheon for our Residents!

 

Thank a Resident Day 2024

Key GME Well-Being Policies

Our Physician Health Support Policy works in cooperation with the Tennessee Medical Foundation (TMF) Physician Health Program to outline a process through which we can provide an opportunity for treatment and counseling for impaired Residents and Fellows.

The University also provides access to a web and phone-based UTHSC GME Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for Residents through United Health Care OTPUM Emotional Wellbeing Solutions.  This confidential program is provided at no cost to each Resident/Fellow. Key elements of the EAP are:

  • Residents and Fellows are provided up to seven (7) counseling sessions for each issue or problem at no cost to our trainees. 
  • Services can be requested by phone at 866.374.6061, or online at https://www.liveandworkwell.com  (Access code UTGME). 
  • Services also include assistance for issues that create difficulty in achieving work-life balance, such as --
    • Financial Well-Being and Coaching
    • A Money Coach powered by My Secure Advantage
    • Identity Theft and Fraud Resolution
    • A Personal OPTUM Assistant to find solutions for a multitude of issues 
    • Virtual Counseling outside your insurance
    • TalkSpace, available 24/7 – no appointments necessary 
    • Online access to Critical Support when you need it for unexpected and traumatic events through www.optumwellbeing.com.  

University-paid Faculty and Administrative Staff have access to a similar Employee Assistance Program (EAP) administered by OPTUM.

Faculty who have benefits through Erlanger instead of the University have availability of an Erlanger Employee Assistance Program (EAP) administered by AETNA.

Self-Screening Tools provided by our institution (you can review your results for self-screening and consider sharing with a counselor or your Primary Care Physician): 

View other valid and reliable screening tools from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Action Collaborative Clinician Well-Being and Resilience. Several are available at no cost.  

Helpful Apps and Links for Well-Being

The UTHSC College of Medicine - Chattanooga GME Programs are committed to promoting overall wellness, including well-being and engagement of physicians, trainees and students, as well as administrative staff and hospital health care team members in Chattanooga. Our efforts have resulted in the establishment and promotion of wellness-related activities for our campus including those at the program and institutional level, but we will strive to continue to make improvements.

Please review information and resources via the right-hand menu links.

Additional links are available in the boxes on the right-hand side of this page.

 

Notes:

  • If you are currently in in the midst of a mental health crisis, including thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline at 988, the Tennessee Statewide Crisis Line at 855-274-7471, or 911.
    Also, please review other resources on this Well-Being Page.
  • Self-Assessment Tools:  We encourage you to view several validated Self-Assessment Tools for burnout, stress, and well-being at no cost to our Residents,  Fellows, Faculty and Administrative Staff.

Counselor

Special Resources for Living

Presentations & Program Well-Being Curriculum

DepressionFatigueWell-Being Books, Articles, Newsletters and VideosHelpful AppsI'm Feeling ... ResourcesMotivations and DefinitionsSelf-Screening Tools and Next Steps

Documents and Other Links

 

Aug 12, 2024