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Dear Colleagues,

The UVA Health Wisdom & Well-Being Program is kicking off a special series of panel discussions that will address urgent mental health issues such as physician suicide, burnout, and other occupational stress injuries.

Guest speaker for the first panel discussion, which is entitled “Breaking the Code of Silence,” will be Christine Moutier, Chief Medical Officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Since assuming her role in 2013, Dr. Moutier has become a leading proponent of evidence-based suicide-prevention strategies. Throughout her career, she has championed training as a means of changing the healthcare system’s approach to mental health.

Opening remarks will be presented by Corey Feist, CEO of the University of Virginia Physicians Group and co-founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, which is dedicated to reducing burnout of healthcare professionals and safeguarding their well-being and job satisfaction. Discussion moderator will be Wisdom & Well-Being Program co-leader Richard J. Westphal, PhD, RN. Dr. Westphal led the Navy team that developed Stress First Aid to help those with stress injuries and will conclude the session with a review of UVA resources.

The discussion will conclude with a question and answer period and will be recorded for viewing by those who are unable to attend. Look for a replay link on the Wisdom & Well-Being website.

Who Should Attend

All team members! While preventing physician suicide is the focus of this program, all who provide patient care can benefit from the discussion. Learning how to engage in conversations that break the code of silence around provider suicidality and burnout is important for everyone who works in clinical settings. Knowing how to intervene when a colleague is struggling is a vital step in creating healthy and supportive work environments and transforming our organizational culture.

Meeting Details

• Thursday, Oct. 28, noon-1 p.m.
• Please click the link below to join the webinar:
  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88213895605?pwd=VWhWRlFiYmNZQnBOb0xOZjB3d3JTZz09
  Passcode: 381040
• Credit offered: 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM, 1.0 Contact Hours, 1.0 Hours of Participation (See flier for more CME/CE information)
• Submit questions in advance to: WisdomAndWellbeing@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

Upcoming Sessions

This panel discussion series is designed as a follow-up to Physician Suicide Awareness Day, which was observed on Sept. 17. Planning is underway for additional sessions, and details will be announced soon. Future topics will include the following:

• Dealing with Loss and Stress
• Managing Critical Incidents

We look forward to your participation on Oct. 28. Read more on the program flier here.

Sincerely,

Peggy Plews-Ogan, MD

Richard Westphal, PhD, RN, FAAN