Take Care of Your Patients by Taking Care of Yourself
The Physician Wellness Program (PWP) was designed as a safe harbor for LMS active and retired physicians, UK College of Medicine Residents, Fellows, Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows & Medical Students, all campuses, to address normal life difficulties in a confidential and professional environment.
To Make an Appointment: Call or Email
Call (859) 825-8986 to leave a confidential voicemail for Dr. Hough or Dr. Smith. They will call you back to schedule an appointment.
Or
Email WoodlandWellnessGroup@gmail.com
For questions about the PWP, contact Christopher Hickey, at (859) 278-0569.
Why Was This Program Created?
Being a physician, resident, or medical student isn’t easy. Difficulties with the current health care delivery and learning systems, maintaining a healthy work/life/family balance, and dealing with the normal stresses of everyday life can take their toll.
We serve many times as counselors to our patients who turn to us for guidance. Who do we turn to when we need to talk through an issue or get some coaching for how to handle stress in our life? Too often the answer is “no one,” and that is regrettable because it is imperative that we be as healthy as possible in our role as health care providers and current trainees.
We deserve to function at our best in all areas of our life. By addressing areas of difficulty, we can decrease our stress levels and increase our levels of resilience.
Some examples of those difficulties include:
- Family issues
- Relationship problems
- Work-related difficulties
- Alcohol/drug abuse
- Depression & anxiety
- Difficulty managing stress
- Mood swings
- Suicidal thoughts
How PWP Works
We have contracted our program with the Woodland Wellness Group. The Woodland Wellness Group will provide counseling to active and retired physician members of the Lexington Medical Society and University of Kentucky College of Medicine residents, fellows, medical students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, all campuses. The Woodland Wellness Group provides easy access, either in person or teletherapy. Non-emergency sessions will be scheduled during regular business hours. Emergency sessions can be scheduled on a 24-hour, 7 days-a-week basis.
Seven licensed psychologists make up the Woodland Wellness Group and have been vetted by LMS. Steven Smith, Ph.D. and Sandra Hough, Ph.D. are our program coordinators and will serve as points of contact to access PWP. The Woodland Wellness Group will maintain a confidential file for each physician and trainee, but no insurance will be billed and LMS will not be given any information about those who utilize the program. As such, this program is completely confidential which is crucial to its success. LMS will pay The Woodland Group a monthly bill based on the number of sessions provided. The Woodland Group will verify LMS membership from the physician finder on the LMS webpage.
PWP Benefits
- 8 free sessions each calendar year for active and retired physicians and residents and fellows, 12 free sessions for UK medical students each calendar year.
- Complete confidentiality
- Easy access
PWP has easy access, in person or teletherapy.Download LMS PWP flyer: LMS PWP ad, May 2024
Here are links to additional resources for physician well-being
LMS Physician Health and Well-Being page, Contains two years of monthly columns on physician health and well-being. Dr Patterson is past president of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians and is certified in family medicine, mind body medicine, integrative holistic medicine, mindfulness-based stress reduction, physician coaching and yoga therapy. He is on the faculty of Saybrook College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences (Pasadena), the Center for Mind Body Medicine (Washington, DC) and U of Rochester’s Mindful Practice in Medicine. He operates the Mind Body Studio in Lexington, where he offers classes, consultations and coaching to manage stress-related conditions and prevent burnout. He can be reached through his website at www.mindbodystudio.org
American College of Physicians, Internal Medicine Emotional Support Hub.
American Medical Society, StepsForward, Physician Burnout, Understand physician burnout and how to address it, engage health system leadership and develop a culture that supports physician well-being.
The Happy MD, Proven Physician Leadership Tools to Stop Physician Burnout and Build Both a Personal and Corporate Wellness Strategy.
