NYC Health + Hospitals Recognized as a 2024 Wellbeing First Champion for Reducing Stigma Around Mental Health Among Physicians
The health system won the award for removing an intrusive mental health question from its physician credentialing application.
A 2023 survey by the Physicians Foundation found that 4 in 10 physicians were afraid or knew of other physicians who were afraid to seek mental health care, given the questions asked when applying for a medical license, credentialing or insurance.
July 8, 2024
NYC Health + Hospitals announced today that it has been named a 2024 WellBeing First Champion for its efforts to eliminate excessive questions about mental health from physician credentialing applications. The award was presented by ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare, a coalition of leading healthcare organizations led by Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation. NYC Health + Hospitals is one of 19 health systems nationwide recognized by the coalition. A 2023 survey by the Physicians Foundation found that when considering questions asked on applications for medical licensure, credentialing, or insurance, four in 10 physicians are afraid or know another physician who is afraid to seek mental health care.
“When physicians are forced to choose between providing care to others or seeking care for themselves, it exacerbates the health care crisis and prevents New Yorkers from getting the help they deserve. That’s why NYC Health + Hospitals has been a pioneering force nationally to remove invasive questions about mental health from medical licensing applications and eliminate dangerous stigma around this issue,” he said. New York City Mayor Eric Adams“We congratulate NYC Health + Hospitals on this well-deserved honor and thank all of the health care workers who work every day to make New York City a safer and healthier place.”
“At the heart of what we do at NYC Health + Hospitals is our staff.” Machelle Allen, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals“We are incredibly proud of our work to eliminate intrusive questions about eligibility verification and prioritise the mental health of our frontline staff, and we thank the ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare coalition for recognising our work in this area.”
“Over the past few years, NYC Health + Hospitals has invested in the mental health of its employees, from our Helping Healers Heal program to the opening of 20 wellness rooms where staff can relax during their shifts,” he said. Eric Way, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals“Changing the eligibility questions is another way that our health system demonstrates to current and future staff that we want everyone, including our employees, to seek mental health and wellness support whenever they need it.”
For example, a recommendation letter for a clinician seeking employment at NYC Health + Hospitals included the following question about the applicant’s health status:
Have you observed or received reports of any substance dependency or physical or mental health problems that may affect the applicant’s ability to perform the job properly?
Last year, NYC Health + Hospitals changed the question to:
Have you observed any health issues that may affect the applicant’s ability to perform the job properly?
If you select ‘Yes’ your information will be passed on confidentially to the Occupational Health Service to ensure medical staff applicants receive the appropriate support they need to be successful in their role.
The initiative is part of the health care system’s commitment to the mental health and wellness of its frontline staff. In March, NYC Health + Hospitals announced a partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to introduce an interactive screening program, an online self-screening tool that allows staff to connect with peer and clinical support before a potential crisis occurs. Additionally, NYC Health + Hospitals’ Helping Healers Heal program provides emotional first aid to health care workers who suffer from stress and anxiety in the workplace and may be at higher risk for depression due to demanding work situations or unexpected patient outcomes.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the nation’s largest public health care system, serving more than one million New Yorkers annually at more than 70 patient care locations across the five boroughs of New York City. A robust network of outpatient, community-based primary and specialty care centers underpins care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agencies and MetroPlus Health Plan, all supported by 11 vital hospitals. Our diverse workforce of more than 43,000 is singularly focused on helping every New Yorker, without exception, live the healthiest life possible. Learn more at www.nychealthandhospitals.org. Connect with us on Facebook. twitterInstagram, LinkedIn, etc.
About ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare
ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare is a coalition of leading health care organizations led by Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and CAA Foundation, including the American Association of Nurses Colleges, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, Physicians Foundation, CHARM: The Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine, Johnson & Johnson: Center for Health Worker Innovation, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, American Nurses Foundation, Medicine Forward, National Black Nurses Association, Filipino Nurses Association, and Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare. We are committed to promoting a state where health care worker well-being is prioritized and where individual health care workers feel valued and supported to maintain a sense of purpose and meaning in their work. We are working to make positive progress against deep-rooted mental health and wellness challenges that disadvantage the health care workforce and, ultimately, the future of our health care system and public health.
