Department of Emergency Medicine Vision on Physician Wellness

Mission Statement: The Department of Emergency Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine fosters a culture of health and well-being by providing the resources to help faculty and staff thrive personally and professionally, enabling them to provide the highest quality of care to patients.

The Department of Emergency Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine strives to be a national leader in clinician well-being. We are committed to creating a positive and supportive work environment, allowing our clinicians to provide the highest quality, most compassionate medical care. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Emergency Medicine believes that when clinicians are happy and engaged in their work, the greatest beneficiaries will be their patients.

Burnout affects half of our nation’s physicians; emergency physicians exceed that average. The most devastating effect of burnout is suicide, which afflicts physicians at double the rate of any other profession. This is a multi-factorial and complex issue, yet the current system of care has magnified the factors that lead to burnout. In a vicious cycle, burned-out physicians contribute to further system dysfunction. Frequently cited causes include too many administrative tasks, long work hours, lack of control of the workplace, and the effects of second victim and malpractice stress syndromes. Physicians may feel increasingly overburdened and undervalued while struggling to stay connected to the joy of medicine.

Our department recognizes that physician burnout in emergency medicine is at an all-time high, and infiltrates many areas of a physician’s life. Our goal is to provide our clinicians with the support needed to thrive clinically, professionally, and personally. NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell strive to provide world-class, cutting-edge, compassionate care to each and every patient. Physician wellness is the critical ingredient. Our wellness program has been featured in several national, academic, and media platforms, including at the National Academy of Medicine. In addition, several of our faculty members are on the ACEP National Well-Being Committee.

Thank you,

Rahul Sharma, MD, MBA, FACEP Chairman

Department of Emergency Medicine Weill Cornell Medicine

Emergency Physician-in-Chief

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center