National Physicians Week Spotlight: Leading Change for Improved Physician Well-being

Improving Physician Wellness

The United Health Foundation provided a three-year, $3 million grant to the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation to create a new program to train 200 family physicians to lead change for improved clinician well-being in their practices and organizations.

“The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need to improve wellness among physicians, in addition to how inequities and racism have an impact on our overall health,” said Dr. Amy Nguyen Howell, senior national medical director at Optum Care, a UnitedHealth Group company. “Our support for the AAFP and its Leading Physician Well-being program reflects our steadfast commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity by improving physician well-being and the quality of patient care.”

Participants selected to participate in the program benefit from virtual meetings, seminars, conferences, webinars and small-group breakout sessions focused on physician well-being, leadership development and performance improvement. They also complete two projects throughout the course of the program — one personal and one organizational — with ongoing support from mentors.