The issue of advocating for pediatricians and addressing physician burnout in Minnesota has been raised several times over recent months in various MNAAP forums, including the November and January board of directors meetings, executive committee meetings and the all member survey. This topic has also been addressed at the National AAP level and also by the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, who stated that we have a “moral obligation to address clinician burnout. To do so, we need systemic and cultural changes…to provide our health care workers with mental health support… building a health care culture that supports well being”.
A small group of the MNAAP executive committee met and came up with several ideas that our chapter could be involved with on this issue, which include the following:
- helping our colleagues to share wellness tips and remember what brings us joy in our workplace;
- setting up a forum for sharing experiences and solutions;
- helping to foster across-institution conversations on problems and solutions, including how to advocate for more support from the health care organizations that employ us.
At this month’s Board meeting, there was overwhelming support for working on this initiative. To that end, chapter members who are interested in participating in this ad hoc group to discuss the topic of physician burnout and try to figure out ways we can help each other, can email MNAAP President Sheldon Berkowitz with your interest at sheldon.berkowitz@
