Joy, meaning, and connection: Fostering physician wellbeing individually and organizationally

Physician well-being has sometimes been called a “wicked problem”—hard to define, with no easy or clear-cut solutions, and one that can change in response to efforts to solve it. Yet much is known about burnout as an occupational hazard for healthcare professionals, and there is an increasing body of evidence supporting both individual and organizational strategies to promote engagement, fulfillment, meaning, connection, and even joy at work.

Mark D. Mason, PhD, MEd, CGP, is a licensed psychologist and Certified Group Psychotherapist who serves as the GME Wellbeing Program Manager at ChristianaCare’s Center for Worklife Wellbeing. He develops and leads well-being programming for residents and fellows, facilitates Wellbeing Grand Rounds and support groups, and works with individuals and organizations to promote healthier clinical learning environments. Dr. Mason is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. He has extensive experience presenting nationally on physician and healthcare professional well-being, including burnout, resilience, mindfulness, meaning and purpose, joy in medicine, and systems-based approaches to well-being.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define and differentiate burnout, engagement and well-being conceptually.
2. Describe job demands resources theory and self-determination theory in relation to the clinical learning environment.
3. Identify the components of the tri-partite model of occupational wellbeing.
4. Categorize individual and organizational efforts to improve the clinical workplace environment for healthcare professionals.

Accreditation Statement:

Deborah Heart and Lung Center designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Deborah Heart and Lung Center is accredited by the Medical Society of New Jersey to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Disclosure Statement:

None of the planners, faculty, or the speaker, for this educational activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.