Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Health Workforce Wellness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Medical Association outlines Safe Haven practitioner‑wellness program; committee hears plan to roll out this year
Summary
The Medical Association of Georgia described its Safe Haven program—a confidentiality‑protected, non‑disciplinary practitioner wellness program aimed at addressing burnout and retention—and said it expects to begin rollout this year with modest per‑practitioner costs and potential employer incentives.
Brent Walker, general counsel for the Medical Association of Georgia, briefed the committee on the Safe Haven practitioner‑wellness program established by last year’s legislation. Walker said the program is modeled on Virginia’s program and designed for broad practitioner participation, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses.
“The goal here is not just to prevent impairment, but to deal with stress,” Walker said, describing the program’s focus on stress management, peer support, mental‑health access, resilience training and work‑life balance initiatives. He said the program emphasizes confidentiality, peer support and a non‑disciplinary approach to encourage engagement from practitioners who might otherwise avoid employer or licensing‑board programs.
Walker told the committee the Medical Association has developed program components and vendor relationships and estimated annual per‑practitioner costs at roughly $300. He said the association plans to incentivize employers to offer the program as an employee benefit and expects to provide access for independent rural practitioners; he said a rollout is expected this year after coordination with licensing boards.
Committee members welcomed the program as a workforce retention tool given statewide shortages. Walker said the program aims to improve retention and reduce errors that are associated with practitioner burnout. He said the association is working with state licensing boards and other professional societies and would begin implementation steps this year.
