The program began in 2002 to help fulfill Joint Commission Standard MS 4.80 which states, “The medical staff implements a process to identify and manage matters of individual physician health.” (The Joint Commission is the foremost accrediting body for healthcare systems and hospitals.)

“Since implementing the program, our medical staff has become more cohesive and our physicians have reported higher levels of job satisfaction,” says Bradley Edgington, PhD, one of the program’s architects as well as a psychologist on staff at Utah Valley Hospital. 

The program has implemented several programs to reduce physician stress and improve their well-being both at work and at home, including:

• Well-Being Task Force
• Medical Staff Leadership Office
• Well-Being Library
• Mentoring program
• Physician Wall of Honor
• Exercise Equipment
• Case Conferences
• Spouse Survey
• Recreational Activities Such as Golf Tournaments

All of these activities are designed to help physicians build relationships with their colleagues, increase productivity and allow physicians to feel a sense of belonging and ownership for their practice and Intermountain Healthcare. Over the course of the last 14 years, various measures of physician well-being indicate our medical staff, as a whole, is doing well.

The Well-Being Program also offers solutions for physicians who are struggling with job-related or personal stress. Resources are available to support physicians in the resolution of issues which may interfere with their ability to care for patients.

“Our results demonstrate the program’s effectiveness,” says Dr. Edgington. “Physicians in our region rank above average nationally for alignment with system objectives and our physicians seem to be happier at work and at home. We like to think that this program has made a meaningful contribution to our culture of well-being.”