Confidential Support Available for Physicians, Residents

Physicians facing problems like alcoholism, stress, illness and substance abuse have a place to turn for confidential support.

Physician Health Services, a nonprofit corporation founded by the Massachusetts Medical Society, supports physicians and medical students facing certain health concerns, including behavioral and mental health issues. The corporation offers various support groups where physicians can talk to other physicians about the stress and demands of their jobs, including financial pressures, work-family balance and coping with a competitive work environment.

The Physician Health Services’ offerings range from such peer support groups to referral and evaluation services, through which a physician dealing with stress, mental health, substance abuse, gambling or other issues is referred by someone else, such as a supervisor or a peer. The physician is evaluated and recommendations are made to assist the physician in overcoming the problem. Depending on evaluation results, it may be recommended that the physician enter a monitoring contract through which he or she checks in daily with a workplace monitor and attends counseling.

“The goal is to keep physicians in practice,” said Joan Stoddard, legal counsel in Partners Office of the General Counsel. “Without monitoring and ensuring that a physician is receiving help, it’s not acceptable to allow someone with a possible substance abuse problem, for example, to continue practicing. Monitoring offers assurance that the physician is capable of practicing.”

For more information, visit www.physicianhealth.org