ACMS' Physician Wellness Program
Welcome to the Physician Wellness Program, an initiative dedicated to addressing the urgent issue of physician burnout. As the professional association for physicians in Allegheny County, we understand the challenges and pressures that physicians face in today’s demanding healthcare landscape. In response, we have developed a comprehensive wellness program that is supported by The Physicians Foundation and the Allegheny County Medical Society Foundation. Our program provides confidential counseling services that are tailored to the unique needs of physicians living and working in Allegheny County. We are committed to significantly impacting physicians’ lives by eliminating barriers to accessing mental health services. We aim to empower physicians to seek the resources and tools necessary to navigate their life journey successfully. Our objective is to foster a stronger and more resilient healthcare community. We invite you to explore our page to learn more.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A PROVIDER (Booking Site is Currently Not Live)
Appointment Booking Site Will Go LIVE on May 15, 2024
Our mental health providers (MHPs) are sensitive to keeping your personal and professional reputation intact. Your participation in this program is completely voluntary and confidential and may not be mandated as a condition of employment. Neither ACMS, your employer, nor the Board of Medicine will be notified of your name if you choose to participate.
- No medical diagnosis – only limited therapy notes are kept on paper
- No insurance billing – our billing process does not allow for participant names to be submitted
- Limited electronic records created (e.g. calendaring, consent to treat, and telehealth software, all of which will be disclosed and explained by the therapist).
Participants must sign an understanding of the MHP’s limits of confidentiality under certain legal statutes. Please review our consent to treat forms prior to your first appointment, although you will go over this paperwork in your first appointment.
Confidential
Our mental health providers (MHPs) are sensitive to keeping your personal and professional reputation intact. Your participation in this program is completely voluntary and confidential and may not be mandated as a condition of employment. Neither ACMS, your employer, nor the Board of Medicine will be notified of your name if you choose to participate.
- No medical diagnosis – only limited therapy notes are kept on paper
- No insurance billing – our billing process does not allow for participant names to be submitted
- Limited electronic records created (e.g. calendaring, consent to treat, and telehealth software, all of which will be disclosed and explained by the therapist).
Participants must sign an understanding of the MHP’s limits of confidentiality under certain legal statutes. Please review our consent to treat forms prior to your first appointment, although you will go over this paperwork in your first appointment.
Competent
Our MHPs have been vetted by ACMS member physicians and/or behavioral health professionals for their experience with and sensitivity to the challenges that doctors and other healthcare workers commonly face. While we do verify licensure with the State ofPennsylvania, we do not necessarily independently
This program effectively removes barriers that prevent physicians from accessing the counseling they need. It’s a great resource that can help improve the well-being of doctors in the community. It also serves as a catalyst to start a broader conversation around how we can better take care of one another. This is a platform to help reduce the stigma around seeking mental health services.
-Vint Blackburn, MD
Convenient
To make an appointment
1) View the list of contract MHPs and make contact with one of them to make an appointment.
2) Identify yourself as a phsyician living or working in Allegheny County and that you are utilizing this benefit.
If you are having trouble getting an appointment, you may call or text (412) 321-8050 x100 for assistance, although at that point, your anonymity with ACMS may not be absolutely preserved from the executive director if caller ID shows up.
Cost-Free Access
A portion of your tax-deductible donations to the ACMS Foundation help make this program possible.
Appointments are available during hours physicians can access in Allegheny County and via telehealth statewide.
The free benefit for phsyicians in need is FOUR (4) sessions per twelve-month period (starting with the first appointment.)
Eligible members include physicians and residents working or living in Allegheny County.
Family members may attend counseling sessions with members, but the client of record is the phsyician and must be present.
