CIPC Blog

Clinician burnout has become an alarming epidemic in healthcare, affecting up to 60% of clinicians (Shanafelt et al., 2015). This phenomenon is linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use, as well as elevated errors and diminished quality of care. Various factors contribute to burnout, including systemic issues like escalating quality metrics, administrative burdens, and shorter patient visits.

This blog post is authored by a graduate of our 2014 “Primary Care Behavioral Health” course.  Many of our former students go on to do significant work in the healthcare field.  Dr. Cherepanov’s experience includes global mental health work in Chernobyl, Chechnya, Kosovo, and Liberia.  She now works as lead clinician for refugee services at Lynn Community Health Center—one of CIPC’s long-term partners in integration training.

During public health complex emergencies (CE), healthcare workers play a crucial role. This work can be rewarding as it reminds health professionals about their mission and purpose. But just like “a perfect storm,” CE disrupts the fabric of community life, and the responders are subjected to the same ailments as their patients (Cherepanov, 2019). When responding to international CEs, humanitarians accumulated a great deal of experience dealing with extreme work stresses. This experience offers a valuable insight into the psychological challenges the frontline healthcare workers face during the pandemic and the best practices for managing them. 

This post first appeared in January 2021 in the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Current research suggests that Medical Group Visits (MGVs) address the well-known triple aim: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs.  But what about the quadruple aim, which adds improved clinician experience?

Clinician burnout, especially during the pandemic, is a serious concern for US healthcare delivery.  Talented and dedicated clinicians are leaving the profession and there is mounting proof that when clinicians are over-stressed there are negative consequences for patient care. 

Read the post by clicking on the title

Last year, prior to the pandemic, in Worcester, Massachusetts, a group of adults with high blood pressure were enjoying cooking and serving a delicious meal.  They were laughing and talking while they spooned vegetables and beans onto their plates.  Down the hall, someone was showing another individual how to take their own blood pressure.  And in a separate room, a doctor with a stethoscope around her neck was discussing weight and blood pressure readings with a patient.  What was going on? Click on the title above to find out.

The pandemic takes a toll on providers, caregivers, and clinicians who care for those afflicted.  CICP faculty member Dr. Paula Gardiner shares a ten-minute meditation practice that anyone can do to provide some self-compassion. More>

Tina Runyan often posts on this blog about wellness and clinician burnout.  This post was prompted by the shootings in the Pittsburgh synagogue.  Read her comments about the concept and reality of sanctuary by clicking on the post title. 

Stress is universal and a part of our everyday lives.  Is all stress harmful? Can we learn to accommodate stress and make more skillful choices about how we respond to this inevitable part of our lives?  

Read what Dr. Runyan wrote to our family medicine residents by clicking on the title.

We all know this word – the property of not lasting or enduring for an indefinite period of time. But what does that really mean with regards to mindfulness and our experiences?

What you think might be fostering connections to others may actually be amplifying your own critical voice or taking you out of the present moment, hijacking your attention away from your physical company.

The Case for Scribes: Reinvigorating the curiosity of a talented family physician.