Newsroom

A Letter to Doctors from CMS Administrator Seema Verma

July 17, 2018

Read Seema Verma's letter in full

The Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP)

May 11, 2018

“Our patients deserve from us the very best health advice and I am certain, after having reviewed this data over the past few years, that lifestyle medicine (better nutrition, more exercise and stress management advice) is what we should be routinely discussing with our patients who suffer from chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease."

Results of WCMS' 2018 Board Slate Vote & Burnout Survey

February 14, 2018

With over 10% of membership responding to the annual survey, which was emailed to all members in early January, both the Association and Foundation boards were approved by quorum per our bylaws.

Why Burned Out Physicians Often Don't Seek Help

November 15, 2017

It has long been known that physicians are at high risk of depression and suicide, and the problem is not getting better. A study published this July in Academic Medicinefound that suicide was the second leading cause of death among resident physicians from 2000-2014 (the first in males). And it's clear that burnout can contribute to the problem, experts say. When Michael Myers, MD, was researching his book Why Physicians Die by Suicide: Lessons Learned by Families and Others Who Cared, he interviewed surviving family members of physicians who had killed themselves. "What they described was straightforward burnout," says Myers, professor of clinical psychiatry at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and specialist in physician health.

WCMS Foundation Awarded Two-Year Grant from Physicians Foundation “WCMS Healthy Healer Program: Using the Medical Society as a Vehicle to Address Physician Burnout”

November 6, 2017

The Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation’s (WCMS) Healthy Healer Program has been awarded a two-year grant from The Physicians Foundation to develop a replicable program for medical societies to address the growing trend of physician burnout.

New service: WCMS offering confidential peer assistance to physicians flagged by NCMB for opioid prescribing practices

November 3, 2017

WCMS is now offering confidential, voluntary peer to peer assistance for physicians flagged by the NCMB for opioid prescribing practices.

Message from the Foundation Board Chair, Dr. Britt Peterson

October 24, 2017

Most physicians and physician assistants (PAs) are aware of the increasing trend of burnout that faces our profession. The challenge remains how to best address this crisis that threatens not only our enjoyment of medicine but its effects on the patient experience and the overall vitality of our health care system.

Simple Tool Shows Lasting Reduction in Burnout

October 24, 2017

Physicians and other healthcare workers who use a simple tool for 2 weeks show reduced burnout within a few days of starting the intervention and retain most of the benefit a year later, researchers reported here at the American Conference on Physician Health.

A Burnout Epidemic: 25 Notes on Physician Burnout in the US

July 12, 2017

Here are 25 things to know about physician burnout.

Introducing The Healthy Healer: WCMS' New Services Promote Wellness and Prevent Burnout!

July 12, 2017

If any of these statistics below resonate with you, click here to learn about our new Healthy Healer Program, featuring discounted, discreet, confidential therapy and coaching services to WCMS members via experienced professionals whom we've personally vetted. Take action now and get help for yourself and your colleagues. We are here to help you be your best self!

A Change in Policy Regarding Physician Burnout by the NC Medical Board

December 19, 2016

Previously, I shared with you my experience of meeting with the widow of a North Carolina physician who committed suicide last year, a victim of burnout. As you recall I discussed three factors which contributed to his death. One of those was his fear of seeking assistance due to possible negative repercussions with the state licensing board.