MMA Board of Trustees Approves Physician Well-being Recommendations   

May 23, 2024

At its May meeting, the MMA Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive package of recommendations aimed at accelerating physician well-being in Minnesota.  

These recommendations are part of an extensive report produced by the MMA’s Physician Well-being Advisory Committee (PWAC) and it arrives at a critical juncture. Prioritizing physician well-being gained considerable traction, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Between June 2023 and April 2024, the MMA’s PWAC, comprised of physicians from across the state and diverse backgrounds, along with three guests from the MMA’s Policy Council, responded to the MMA Board of Trustee’s request to identify actionable to enhance physician well-being. 

“The MMA plays a significant role in advocating for policies and initiatives that prioritize physician well-being and foster healthier work environments for physicians and the broader healthcare team,” said PWAC co-chair Natalia Dorf Biderman, MD. “Our recommendations reflect a strong commitment to creating a sustainable and supportive environment.”  

Colin West, MD, PhD and co-chair of the committee, emphasized the comprehensive nature of the recommendations. "The recommendations we’ve developed address a multi-faceted and complex issue. The imperative to protect and enhance physician well-being extends beyond a moral obligation. It is crucial for patient safety, workforce sustainability, cost-effective care, and overall professional fulfillment,” he explained.      

The PWAC recommendations focus on several key areas, including the following:  

• Develop a compact that will enhance and fortify the patient-physician relationship and lay the groundwork for collaborative and respectful healthcare partnerships that prioritize the well-being of patients, physicians, and the broader healthcare team. 

• Advocate for changes in credentialing language to remove intrusive mental health questions. 

• Develop an awareness campaign to promote well-being to optimize physician performance. 

• Adopt policy to support the development of care delivery models and associated practices that prioritize the physician-patient relationship by reducing work burdens that do not directly contribute to patient care. 

• Adopt policy affirming the need to limit low-value documentation requirements to reduce risk of medical errors and administrative burdens, and support the development of AMA policy that will facilitate collaboration with EHR systems developers and regulatory bodies to limit low-value documentation requirements. 

• Endorse the expectation that physicians be included in development processes for clinical workflow support products as an industry standard. 

• Advocate for flexibility in work options to help physicians achieve better work-home integration. 

• Advocate for the increased prioritization of effects on well-being in organizational and practice standards, mission and vision statements, decisions, change initiatives, and dashboards. 

• Endorse the role of formal well-being leadership (e.g., Chief Wellness Officer) representation in governance bodies as a best practice. 

• Publicize and circulate the committee’s report to inform and empower leaders. 

The report was met with widespread support from the Board, with many praising PWAC’s approach. As Dorf Biderman noted, “By prioritizing physician well-being, we are not only supporting our doctors, but also ensuring better care for our patients and a more resilient healthcare system overall.” 

With these new recommendations, the MMA aims to set a standard for other states to follow, fostering a healthier and more supportive environment for all healthcare workers.