Medical student advocacy leads to credentialing application change
Fourth-year medical student Bobby Chapman did not realize that he could make a major difference for students, residents, advanced practice providers and other physicians at Albany Medical Center in New York until he took a train earlier this year from New York to Washington, D.C. to attend the “ALL IN: From Crisis to Transformation” event at Johns Hopkins University.
After hearing speakers from the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation (DLBHF), Bobby was motivated to ensure that Albany Med’s credentialing applications use the most appropriate language related to mental health and substance use disorders. For Bobby, his teachers had always been supportive of him and his colleagues—emphasizing the importance of self-care and creating a welcome and supportive learning environment. Bobby knew, however, that national literature shows that many health care providers avoid seeking care for wellness out of fear of the repercussions of disclosing their mental health histories to their employers.
“The questions that many hospitals ask on credentialing applications are overly invasive, and actually end up discouraging health care workers from properly taking care of themselves,” said Bobby. “The Foundation helped me connect the dots between the questions that health care providers are forced to answer and the reluctance they feel in seeking care.”
After talking more with Stefanie Simmons, MD, the foundation’s chief medical officer, Bobby became determined—on the train back to New York—to advocate to the hospital medical staff to make changes. He talked with his advisors and quickly got a meeting with Gina Geis, MD, associate dean for professional fulfillment at Albany Med, who was already aware of the foundation’s work and, with a dedicated team, took quick action to review Albany Med’s applications and peer reference forms. “Our workforce is our most valuable asset. They bear witness to the human experience in a way that most other professions could not imagine. It is critical that they have access to the full spectrum of support available so they may continue to serve others,” said Dr. Geis.
The DLBHF and AMA provided technical assistance during the revision process. As a result, Albany Med now only asks on its initial and reappointment applications: “Do you currently have any physical or mental health conditions that adversely affects your ability to safely perform the essential functions of a practitioner in your area of practice, with or without reasonable accommodation?”
Albany Med’s approach is consistent with the recommendations of the AMA (PDF), American Osteopathic Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Emergency Physicians, Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, Federation of State Medical Boards, The Joint Commission, the National Association of Medical Staff Services and many other national organizations.
“Bobby’s example is fantastic not only because he leapt into action taking best practices that we developed along with the AMA,” said Dr. Simmons. “The best part is that his advocacy in his institution will literally help generations of medical students, advanced practice providers, and physicians not fear seeking care if they need it.”
Albany Medical Center is northeastern New York’s only academic medical center. It anchors the Albany Med Health System, which includes four hospitals and a children’s hospital, medical college, research enterprise and home health care agency.
