Promoting the science and art of medicine, care and well-being of patients, protection of the public health, and betterment of the medical profession.
Burnout has become a prevalent topic among physicians, discussed not only within medical circles but also by various stakeholders such as medical groups, health systems, and the media. The alarming reality is that physician burnout has reached near-epidemic levels. According to data from the American Medical Association, the proportion of physicians reporting symptoms of burnout surged to nearly 63% by the end of 2021, a significant increase from 38% in 2020.
Burnout is multifaceted, with a myriad of contributing factors and manifestations. Amidst the profound transformations in the healthcare delivery landscape in the United States, many physicians grapple with a sense of diminishing roles as healers, comforters, and compassionate listeners.
Recognizing the challenges firsthand, the physician leadership at the Central Coast Medical Association (CCMA) empathizes with the daily struggles encountered by colleagues. As your trusted professional organization, CCMA is steadfast in its commitment to supporting physicians across the Central Coast in rediscovering happiness and fulfillment within their noble profession.
It's crucial to recognize that managing stress is as vital as tending to one's physical health. Prioritizing self-care not only sustains but also enhances your capacity to provide compassionate care to those in need. Let's embark on this journey together, nurturing our well-being and fostering a culture of support and resilience within our community.
The Central Coast Medical Association (CCMA) is committed to supporting the well-being of our community’s physicians. As part of this commitment, CCMA is pleased to offer access to anonymous and cost-free virtual counseling sessions for our regular active and resident physician members in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Through this initiative, CCMA is sponsoring up to four counseling sessions per member with vetted psychologists or life coaches.
To determine your membership status and eligibility for this program, you can verify if your name is listed on our website at https://www.ccmahealth.org/for-patients/find-a-physician.aspx. Please note that resident members will not appear on the Physician Finder, but they are still eligible to participate in this program. If you are not currently a member, you can join by visiting https://www.cmadocs.org/join.
To take advantage of this program, CCMA regular active and resident physician members can directly contact one of the mental health clinicians from our list of vetted professionals. Simply indicate that you are a CCMA member when scheduling your appointment. For detailed program information and contact details for the participating mental health clinicians, please visit https://tinyurl.com/CCMAWellness. Alternatively, you can reach out to CCMA directly at wellness@ccmahealth.org or 805.683.5335 for more information.
We are committed to supporting the mental health and resilience of our physician members, and we encourage you to utilize this valuable resource for your well-being.
If you are in need of urgent assistance, call the California Medical Association’s 24-hour Physicians’ and Dentists’ Confidential Assistance Line at 213.383.2691.
All calls are completely confidential. Callers are quickly connected to a physician or dentist with extensive experience in helping health professionals having problems with stress, substance abuse, or mental health issues. Learn more at https://www.cmadocs.org/confidential-line.
The Central Coast Medical Association (CCMA) depends on our sponsors to fund the Physician Wellness Program so that it is available to all of our members. Thank you to all of our partners for your dedication and support to healthy physicians.
For those interested in making a significant contribution and becoming a program sponsor, we invite you to contact us at wellness@ccmahealth.org.
To contribute to CCMA's Physician Wellness program through a general donation, kindly send a check with a notation on the memo line to the following address:
Central Coast Medical Association 5142 Hollister Ave # 143 Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2526
Please be advised that CCMA is a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization. We recommend consulting your tax advisor for assistance with the proper classification of your payment for tax purposes.
Thank you to our sponsors:
STEPS Forward – a collection of award‐winning online toolkits offered by the AMA that help physicians and medical teams make transformative changes to their practices and covers everything from managing stress and preventing burnout to improving practice workflow.
Organizational Biopsy – a set of measurement resources developed by the AMA that assess burnout levels within medical organizations to provide metrics that can guide solutions and interventions that mitigate system-level burnout rates and improve physician well-being.
Debunking Regulatory Myths – a series created by the AMA that provides physicians and their care teams with resources to reduce guesswork and administrative burdens and focus on streamlining clinical workflow processes, improving patient outcomes, and increasing physician satisfaction.
Recovery Plan for Physicians – the AMA’s Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians is finding ways to support our physicians in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and pushing for changes in our health system that will lead to better outcomes for physicians and patients alike.
The Nocturnists – an award-winning medical storytelling podcast featuring personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors and art-makers, and special podcast documentary series such as Post-Roe America, Shame in Medicine, Black Voices in Healthcare, and Stories from a Pandemic.
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