The ACCMA Advisory Committee on Physician Wellbeing is a confidential committee that provides a vital service by offering confidential assistance to physicians suffering from some type of physical or emotional impairment. Its members are experienced in intervention to assist people with chemical dependency problems and other types of impairment.
The Committee also houses the Subcommittee on Litigation Stress, which provides confidential information and support to physicians who are experiencing the stress and uncertainty of professional liability litigation or an investigation by a government agency. Committee members are available to provide immediate peer support at no cost. To access this resource, call (510) 654-5383 or email accma@accma.org. Please briefly describe the nature of your request and we will connect you with a member of the Advisory Committee. (The ACCMA upholds the value of privacy for our physician members; information shared via phone or email will remain confidential.)
The Subcommittee on Litigation Stress is housed in the ACCMA Advisory Committee on Physician Wellbeing and provides moral and emotional support to physicians who are experiencing stress related to medical malpractice or a medical board investigation. It is a confidential peer review subcommittee of the ACCMA, and the supportive services offered by the program are intended to complement the support physicians receive from their personal legal counsel and professional liability insurance company.
Any physician who is threatened with or sued for malpractice, or whose license to practice medicine is being challenged by government regulators, may request a consultation with a member of the ACCMA Advisory Committee of Physician Wellbeing by contacting the ACCMA. The primary purpose of the meeting or phone consultation is to inform the subject physician of ways to cope with the stress of litigation or investigation and to appraise the physician of support resources available from the ACCMA, the physician's liability insurer, and from other sources. LSC members provide moral and emotional support, but are not permitted to discuss details of the case, give legal advice, or make recommendations about the management of the liability claim, and may not agree to testify as an expert on the colleague's behalf or participate in other peer review activities regarding the physician's case.
According to the American Medical Association, about half of all practicing physicians experience work-related burnout. Recent studies show a substantial rate of burnout across physician specialties, as well as an increasing disparity in burnout among doctors compared to the general workforce.
To help promote professional satisfaction and address the issue of burnout, the ACCMA has developed a new Clinician Wellness Program, which provides direct support to physicians struggling with mental health issues or feelings of burnout, as well as providing resources, webinars, toolkits, and more to physicians seeking to learn more about mental health.