AMA STEPS Forward® podcast

Dr. Mickey Trockel, Psychiatrist and Director of Evidence-Based Innovation for the Stanford University School of Medicine WellMD Center, shares findings from a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings on the impact of work on personal relationships and physician well-being.     Read Dr. Trockel’s article here: https://mayocl.in/47lXLOY Explore the Wellness-Centered Leadership Playbook: https://b...

Host Dr. Marie Brown, internist and Physician Director of Practice Redesign at the AMA, joins Dr. Diana Savitzky, pediatric emergency medicine physician and Chair of the Well-Being Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) to discuss the unique stressors that impact emergency physicians and how alleviating “pebbles in the shoe” can improve physician well-being and team operati...

Dr. Christine Sinsky, former vice president of Professional Satisfaction at the AMA, discusses her research on physician vacation habits and their impact on career satisfaction and retention, featuring insights from her recently published Mayo Clinic Proceedings article. She delves into the risks of limited time off, barriers to disconnecting, and how health systems can better support physician we...

Dr. Cassie Littler, Medical Director of the Webb Pediatric Specialty Clinic at Denver Health (a Federally Qualified Health Center) discusses the role of state governments in promoting sustainable, integrated behavioral health care. She explores funding disparities, workforce shortages, and the innovative ways states like Colorado are addressing challenges to improve care for individuals with concu...

Many practices reduce unnecessary messages by suppressing the delivery of “thank you” messages into clinician inboxes. With this switch, the care team does not have to manage patient replies that express gratitude or acknowledge understanding (but require no further action). There is no regulatory obligation to respond to every patient portal message.   Patient Portal Optimization Toolkit: https:/...

Dr. Kim Smolderen, licensed clinical psychologist and outcomes researcher, Associate Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, Co-founder of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Cardiovascular Psychology workgroup, and a recognized expert in vascular disease, discusses the critical but often underrecognized intersection of cardiovascular and behavioral health. She sh...

Dr. Greenawald, Interim Chair of Family Medicine at Carilion Clinic in Virginia, explores the concept of "autonomy" for physicians, offering his personal perspective while highlighting how the meaning of autonomy can vary for different physicians depending on their context and environment. Dr. Greenawald also discusses practical strategies for physicians and practice leaders to foster greater indi...

Dr. Rob Saper, Chair of the Department of Wellness and Preventive Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, explains what it means to fully disconnect from your work as a practicing physician, and discusses practical, actionable steps to do so. Explore the Value of Feeling Valued Playbook: https://bit.ly/43BX9Vk Explore the "Real PTO" for Physicians Toolkit: https://bit.ly/4ifGECW Explore the Wellness-Centere...

Dr. Tiffany Moore Simas, Medical Director for Lifeline for Moms, and Obstetric Engagement Liaison for the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP) for Moms, explores the opportunities and challenges of maternal behavioral health-focused care models while emphasizing the importance of integrating behavioral health as a core component of perinatal health services. She also discusses pro...

Dr. Vincent Liu, Chief Data Officer at The Permanente Medical Group, an AMA health system group member, shares how they are defining success in Augmented Intelligence (AI) governance. He discusses how they're aligning AI initiatives with strategic goals, scaling successful pilots like ambient documentation, managing emerging risks, and building trust through clinician and patient engagement all wh...

Physicians can often cut out redundant information, only documenting the medically necessary and appropriate history. By encouraging all physicians to create standardized notes with the same look and feel, your clinical team will reduce their cognitive burden and spend less time scrolling. Explore the Simplified Outpatient Documentation and Coding Toolkit: https://bit.ly/3S4ADh2 Access the transcr...

Dr. Alvin Liu, an endowed professor of the AI Oversight Team and inaugural director of the James P. Gills Jr., MD, & Heather Gills Artificial Intelligence Innovation Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine, discusses Johns Hopkins Medicine’s journey with Augmented Intelligence (AI) governance, involving end users to provide feedback, and some critical factors for success in AI adoption and implementation...

Dr. Srinivasan Suresh, Chief Information Officer, Chief Medical Information Officer, and Vice President of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh discusses key steps for success in Augmented Intelligence (AI) governance, including establishing leadership and structure, aligning AI initiatives with strategic goals, developing policy, ensuring proper training and education, and continuously evaluati...

Both patients and care teams need to understand that communication through the patient portal should not replace a physician visit, whether telehealth or in-person. Offer your patients a handout describing the best way to use the portal. Be open and honest with patients if they are sending too many messages.  Explore the Patient Portal Optimization Toolkit: https://bit.ly/4jPu3qF Follow us on Link...

Dr. Jessi Gold, inaugural Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee (UT) System, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), practicing outpatient psychiatrist, and author of the book, How Do You Feel?: One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine , discusses her experience with burnout and strategies for health care professionals to...

Dr. Gino Somers, Chief of the Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine from Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Toronto, shares his experience adapting the AMA STEPS Forward® After a Physician Suicide Toolkit to meet the unique needs of his organization. He discusses the challenges of addressing physician suicide, the importance of creating a supportive culture of wellness and how institutio...

Dr. Raymond Tsai, AMA member and Vice President of Advanced Primary Care at the Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH), explains why it is in an employer's best interest to prioritize providing their employees with high-quality, whole-person care. He also provides insights into PBGH’s ongoing efforts to help employers access their model of advanced primary care for their employees and their fam...

When a colleague is experiencing a crisis or is at risk of suicide, you don’t have to be an expert to offer help. Peer support is a crucial component in ensuring the well-being of colleagues and reducing the risk of suicidal ideation. Often, reaching out with a simple recommendation to talk with a mental health professional can make a huge difference in helping someone feel less alone. Explore the...

Dr. Suzanna Fox and Yasemin Moore from Advocate Health, which achieved Joy in Medicine Gold for the Southeast region in 2023, discuss the Best Place to Care Initiative and its use of STEPS Forward® resources and Organizational Biopsy® results to provide well-being care for their physicians and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs). Explore the AMA Organizational Biopsy®: https://bit.ly/3WVUuSp Learn...

AMA Member Dr. Robert Cooley, Associate Professor in Primary Care Medicine at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine, discusses the integration of behavioral and physical health care and how collaborative models address health care disparities. He also shares how personal experiences in both life and medicine shaped his journey to understanding the significance of behavioral health...

Dr. Jill Jin and Dr. Kevin Hopkins, AMA Senior Physician Advisors, discuss concrete strategies organizations can apply to support their individual physicians and make their workforce feel valued. Explore the Value of Feeling Valued Playbook: https://bit.ly/4fgjbA8 Calculate how much physician burnout is costing your organization: https://bit.ly/40jNOOF Explore the “Real PTO” for Physicians toolkit...

Consider using an agenda template to make your team meetings more consistent and organized. Meetings should cover the essential business of the team, and other common agenda items might include a check-in (team members sharing about their personal lives), a shout-out (celebrating something going well), or a debrief (assessing the effectiveness of the meeting itself). Also include a bit of fun to p...

Dr. Sea Chen, AMA Physician Director of Practice Sustainability, and Taylor Johnson, AMA Senior Manager of Physician Practice Development, explore key strategies for engaging with a third-party billing company. They also offer tips for conducting routine audits, holding monthly review meetings, and more. Explore the How to Manage Your Third-Party Billing Company Tip Sheet:https://bit.ly/40Xlm5M 🩺...

Beckie Herron, MA, CPCS Director of Credentials Verification at Baptist Health KY & IN, and Dr. Brad Housman, Vice President & Chief Medical Officer at Baptist Health Paducah, discuss the essential steps physicians must take to obtain licensure, credentials, hospital/facility privileges and payor enrollment. Baptist Health Medical Group is an AMA Health System Member. Watch the FREIDA video: https...

Dr. Keshni Ramnanan, internist serving as chair-elect on the AMA Private Practice Physician Section (PPPS) Governing Council, shares her experience both giving and receiving mentorship in medicine. She also highlights practical tips for getting started. Explore Mentoring for Impact: https://bit.ly/M4IEH Learn  more about the Private Practice Physicians Section (PPPS): https://bit.ly/4gOv69c 🩺&nbs...