Physician losses during COVID-19: necessary next steps

As we pass the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, let us pause to grieve the colleagues and teammates we have lost. 

Over 3,600 healthcare workers in the United States have died from COVID-19 according to "Lost on the Frontline," a year-long investigation by The Guardian and Kaiser Health Network (KHN). Dr. Lin tweeted last week about this project, which identified 17% of these deaths as physicians. Those lost included Dr. Frank Gabrin, an Emergency Medicine physician in New York City, and Dr. Susan Moore, a pediatrician in Carmel, Indiana. Dr. Moore, who was Black, highlighted in her final days the endemic racism in healthcare that she, too, experienced; the pandemic's greater toll among Black and brown communities is reflected in the "Lost on the Frontline" statistics. Also unsurprisingly,

[t]he yearlong series of investigative reports found that many of these deaths could have been prevented. Widespread shortages of masks and other personal protective gear, a lack of covid testing, weak contact tracing, inconsistent mask guidance by politicians, missteps by employers and lax enforcement of workplace safety rules by government regulators all contributed to the increased risk faced by health care workers. Studies show that health care workers were more than three times as likely to contract covid as the general public.

These failures have further compounded the mental health burden carried by many physicians during the pandemic. These burdens have claimed some of our peers' lives. The "Lost on the Frontline" project's numbers do not include physicians who have completed suicide, such as Dr. Lorna Breen; given pre-pandemic estimates that one physician a day commits suicide in the United States, at least another 300-400 physician lives need to be added to the "Lost on the Frontline" tally.

The April 1 issue of AFP includes this article on "The Suicidal Patient: Evaluation and Management," and its tenets apply equally to caring for our physician-patients. As family physicians, our colleagues are often also our patients, and we owe them compassionate, discreet, accessible mental health care. With our generalist approach, we can be leaders in advocating for physician wellness in our health systems and training centers. We can contribute to an environment that recognizes and honors our struggles instead of silencing and stigmatizing them. 

The AAFP has a website for COVID-19: Physician Well-Being with resources relevant to all specialties. The American Psychiatric Association's Physician Wellbeing Resources site includes both personal and organizational mental health interventions. The American Medical Association also has a site with several resources to help promote physician wellness. Let's lead the way, family physicians, in building systems and relationships that care for each other the way we all deserve.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call Doctor Lifeline (1-888-409-0141), the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255); en Espanol (1-888-628-9454); TTY users, use your prefered services or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255; go to https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org; or text HOME to 741741.