Past Medicus Integra Recipients

The Medical Center of Aurora (TMCA), a250-bed community hospital located in Denver, Colorado, is operated by the Hospital Corporation of America (H). TMCA receives particular commendation for the following: the TMCA Colleagues program, featuring facilitated monthly meetings of physicians designed to promote communication and collegiality; evidence of a pervasive, trust-based institutional culture derived from collaborative executive and physician leadership; the ICARE program of values-based physician recognition, an organized system of physician appreciation and commitment to timely responses to concerns; and combined executive and physician leadership in business and clinical planning and execution, with evidence of enviable achievement in core quality, safety, risk, and patient experience measures.

The Avera Health system has over 16,000 employees and physicians, serving more than 330 locations and 100 communities in a five-state region. Avera is headquartered in Sioux Falls, SD, and carries on the health care legacy of the Benedictine and Presentation Sisters. Avera’s commitment to physician well-being is evidenced by the following: the innovative LIGHT (Live, Improve, Grow, Heal, Treat) program, designed to prevent burnout, promote work-life balance, and optimize workflow, led by a collaborative physician-administrative committee and including education, coaching, and counseling components; Avera’s Physician Leadership Academy, now in its fourth year of operation, accommodating 15 physicians per year and designed to prepare physicians for dyad leadership roles in the organization, teaming executive and physician leaders in the management of major service lines; Avera has the world’s most extensive telemedicine network, providing rapid and reliable clinical consultation for physicians working in remote areas; and Avera Medical Group (AMG) deploys a robust, two-day onboarding program for new doctors, with AMG’s enviable 4-5 percent annual physician turnover rate reflecting high physician engagement.

Florida Hospital (FH) is a 2,400-bed, eight-facility, tertiary care hospital located in Orlando, Florida, and operated by Adventist Health System (AHS). Florida Hospital’s formal commitment to physician well-being originated in 2001. Highlights include: Physician Support Services employs a full-time director who provides professional coaching/counseling, continuing medical education, and focused retreats for education, renewal, and relationship building; organized efforts to build collegiality (e.g., Finding Meaning in Medicine©), promote compassion and teamwork (e.g., Schwartz Center Rounds®), and address spiritual issues (medical staff Department of Healthcare & Spirituality); a Physician Leadership Development program accommodating 35 physicians per class in a 40-hour curriculum over eight months; and the Orlando Physician Advisory Council, including 55-60 elected physician leaders and institute leaders, contributing to organizational strategy development. Physician engagement surveys document consistent improvement over the past several years.

Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) is an academic medical center operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, providing tertiary care services to Southern California’s “Inland Empire” through its medical school (700 students), residency programs (800 residents), and 900 physician faculty. Notable initiatives include: the Physician Vitality Program, which employs a full-time director who provides professional coaching, counseling, and related support services; educational and relationship-building initiatives; and social research on physician burnout and well-being; LLUH involves physicians in a remarkable program of domestic and international service initiatives, including the Global Health Initiative, Street Medicine Outreach, and Social Action Corps (SAC); Women in Medicine provides social and support activities for women physicians; the LLUH biomedical and organizational Ethics program provides graduate-level training and consultative services; and the Center for Spiritual Life & Wholeness sponsors a variety of programs designed to sustain the mission and promote the culture of the organization.

Adventist Health System President/CEO Don Jernigan received the Coalition for Physician Well-Being’s inaugural Friend of Medicus Integra© Award at the organization’s sixth annual meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The Medicus Integra Award© was conceived and developed based on the belief that physician resilience and well-being not only benefit physicians but are also conducive to a healthy organizational culture and essential to delivering quality patient care. The Coalition for Physician Well-Being commended Jernigan’s advocacy for measures to combat physician burnout, as well as his persistent and innovative efforts to help physicians achieve personal satisfaction and professional fulfillment in their lives. Adventist Health System is a founding member of the Coalition for Physician Well-Being.