Join Leading Physician Well-being’s 2022 Cohort

Already beleaguered by administrative burden and inadequate payment, physicians’ offices had for the better part of a year also been compelled to rise to the challenges of dealing with patients’ often-grave illness and communities’ fear and confusion ― all while being handicapped by a lack of appropriate equipment and supplies.

Sounds like a recipe for burnout, doesn’t it?

That was the setting for the launch of Leading Physician Well-being, a tuition-free certificate program from the AAFP and United Health Foundation that seeks to foster physician leadership skills to promote and maintain stability, boost team morale, and support well-being in the workplace. Just as the inaugural year is wrapping up, this month marks the opening of the application period for the 2022 cohort.

An extension of the Academy’s groundbreaking Physician Health First^® initiative, LPW will support 100 family physicians in developing the leadership skills needed to spearhead change and forge a culture of well-being among the physicians and other clinicians in a practice or health care organization.

Specifically, the program helps participants grow their knowledge and skills in three foundational areas:

• physician well-being,
• leadership development and
• performance improvement.

LPW comprises a 10-month series of three core sessions ― a mix of livestreamed and in-person events ― as well as regular online learning activities. Review a tentative schedule of events for 2022.

The program’s sessions will be led by a talented panel of expert faculty:

• Jason Marker, M.D., M.P.A., of South Bend, Ind. ― overall chair and leadership faculty;
• Elizabeth Campbell ― AAFP senior operations manager, Continuing Professional Development, and PI co-chair;
• Catherine Florio-Pipas, M.D., M.P.H., of Lebanon, N.H. ― well-being co-chair;
• Joedrecka Brown Speights, M.D., of Tallahassee, Fla. ― well-being faculty;
• Mark Greenawald, M.D., of Roanoke, Va. ― leadership faculty;
• Karen Smith, M.D., of Raeford, N.C. ― PI faculty; and
• Jay Lee, M.D., M.P.H., of Newport Beach, Calif. ― PI faculty and the most recent faculty member.

Applications to participate in LPW will be accepted through Nov. 17 at 5:30 CT.  All AAFP active members are eligible to apply; residents are eligible if they have the support of their residency program and they should submit a letter of support from their program director.

To achieve sustained and widespread impact, a diverse cohort of family physicians is desired, including new physicians (those in their first seven years of practice), women in medicine, those underrepresented in medicine, and those who work in rural practices or with other vulnerable populations.

During the first full week of December, all applicants will be notified regarding whether or not they have been chosen to participate.

Questions? Find answers in an FAQ developed by the LPW team.