GME IM Program Well-Being
South Georgia Health System Policies And Procedures
Title: GME IM Program Well-Being
Facilities: System Policy
Number: 9.00x
- [X] SGMC
- [ ] SGMC Berrien Campus
- [ ] SGMC Lanier Campus
- [ ] SGMC Lakeland Villa
Function:
- [ ] 1.000 Administrative/Operations
- [ ] 2.000 Clinical Services
- [ ] 3.000 Compliance
- [ ] 4.000 Environment of Care
- [ ] 5.000 HIPAA
- [ ] 6.000 Finance
- [ ] 7.000 Human Resources
- [X] 8.000 GME
Purpose
This policy defines the ways in which Residents are supported in their efforts to become competent, caring and resilient physicians while completing Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited training programs at SGMC.
Application
This policy applies to Residents, Faculty, Program Directors, Program Coordinators, and Graduate Medical Education (GME) staff at the following Facilities: South Georgia Medical Center ("SGMC") participating sites.
Definitions
Resident: Any physician in an ACMGE-accredited graduate medical education program including residents and fellows.
Burnout: Long-term exhaustion and diminished interest in work. Dimensions of burnout include emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of lack of competence or success in one's work. Burnout can lead to depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders.
Resilience: The ability to withstand and recover quickly from difficult conditions or situations. During training, Residents may face difficult patient care, educational or personal events which have the ability to negatively affect their Well-being. Decompressing after such situations, through conversation with peers, mentors or family, and self-care activities, can increase Resilience.
Well-being: Refers to the state of being healthy, happy and successful. Well-being may be positively increased by interacting with patients and colleagues at work, being intellectually stimulated and by feeling that one is making a difference/helping. In addition, self-care activities, including exercise, getting plenty of rest and connecting with others, is beneficial.
Policy
Residents' physical, psychological and emotional Well-being is of paramount importance to SGMC and our ACGME-accredited training programs. Residents are encouraged to lead healthy lives and make healthy choices that support them in their personal and professional growth. To that end, we provide the following strategies to support trainee health, Well-being and Resilience:
Procedures:
Institutional Support
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential and free counseling services which include up to four in-person visits/year and 24/7 telephonic counseling.
- Pastoral Services: Counseling services, Chapel on campus.
- Residents have access to healthy food and beverages options at the Physician Dining Room, SGMC Cafeteria and physician lounges.
- Residents participate in the quarterly Resident Forum. While this provides the opportunity to discuss matters relative to their training program, it provides collegial relationship building.
- Residents may purchase YMCA and Bodyworks Family Fitness memberships at substantial discounts through payroll deduction.
- Occurrence Reporting via RL Solutions: Patient and employee safety reporting for actual events and near misses.
Graduate Medical Education Support
- The Office of GME is a safe place where Residents can ask for and receive help with various needs including academic counseling, coaching and mentoring.
- Residents participate in the quarterly Resident Forum. While this provides the opportunity to discuss matters relative to their training program, it provides collegial relationship building.
- The Office of GME delivers coffee, fruit and snacks to the Resident lounge 24/7. Meals are also provided to the Residents lounge for those taking overnight in-house call.
- Residents may take advantage of free taxi service to and from the hospital in the event that they are too fatigued to drive home after a clinical shift.
- All Residents and Core faculty complete an annual learning module on sleep alertness and fatigue mitigation. Annual Faculty development activities must include topics related to faculty professional well-being and resident support of well-being.
Program Support
- Each resident's annual rotation schedule adheres no more than 3 intense rotations(ICU/IP/NM) back to back to mitigate fatigue and burnout from the complexity of patient care. Schedules for each block month are limited to 80 hours to allow some flexibility in complying with clinical and education work hours and spending time with patients, enhancing meaning in patient care.
- There are circumstances in which Residents may be unable to attend work, including but not limited to fatigue, illness, and family emergencies. Faculty attendings perform back up if a resident is not able to attend work. As the program matures and has senior residents, they may carry some of the backup duties. These polices will be implemented without fear of negative consequences for the Resident whom is unable to provide the clinical work.
- Residents have the opportunity to attend medical, mental health, and dental care appointments, including those scheduled during their work hours. Residents must inform the Program Coordinator, Chief Resident (if applicable) and faculty attending of these appointments with as much prior notice as appropriate.
- Residents are encouraged to alert the Program Director, a faculty mentor or Chief Resident when they have concern for themselves, a Resident colleague or a faculty member displaying signs of Burnout, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation or potential for violence. Regular meetings with faculty mentors provide residents with an opportunity to learn and ask questions about topics of interest to their professional lives and future.
- Residents are encouraged to download and access the ACGME AWARE app as a resource for tools to help identify opportunities to improve well-being and promote resilience.
Responsibility
Program Director, GMEC, Designated Institution Official
Policy History
Original Adoption Date: July 2020, December 2022, July 2023