Kim Downey is a physician advocate and physical therapist.
I’ve heard this question asked in interviews, and I’ve been asked it myself.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve become involved with several organizations that are working hard and taking positive action in this regard. I’m a proud ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, I’m on the traction team for Medicine Forward (MF), and I’m a strong collaborator and supporter of the Health Care Reinvention Collaborative (HRC).
As …
Recently, I interviewed Dr. David Morris, a physician in Ireland and CEO of Verity Barrington, along with Geoffrey Roche, director of workforce development for Siemens Healthineers. Our conversation focused on successes in health care in both Ireland and America, and the lessons we can share to improve the system. A critical part of our discussion revolved around the role of health care boards. Geoffrey posed a pivotal question: “Where are …
Kim Downey:
Part of my work supporting physicians involves facilitating connections, both among physicians and with others who assist them. In this vein, I introduced Dr. Wael Saasouh to Lisa Scardina. Our discussion touched on AI, with Dr. Saasouh sharing positive ways we can use technology and Lisa offering her perspective on AI, which also stands for Appreciative Inquiry. How we connect and have conversations matters! We talked about hope and …
Kim Downey:
Fostering meaningful connections and building a supportive community has become my mission as I work to stand up for and alongside doctors. I recently connected Dr. Wael Saasouh with Lisa Scardina. During our thought-provoking conversation, Wael said, from his perspective of wearing many hats in business, leadership, clinical, and research, “Once we can collaborate on multiple levels, a solution becomes a lot more attainable!” Lisa and I wholeheartedly agreed. …
Michael Foti, MD, and Tushar Bhagat, PhD, recently reached out to me, each expressing that we are committed to the same goal: well-being for others, especially physicians. I paired them up for an episode of my YouTube channel, where they poignantly shared their journeys to becoming advocates for physician wellness. Through their work, they are creating synergistic loops of feeling better! Here are their stories:
Michael Foti, MD:
At a time when …
Kim Downey
Wherever conversations surrounding health care occur, similar frustrations emerge, whether I’m speaking with a physician in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, or New Zealand. I’ve recently been in dialogue with Olivia Morris, co-founder and CEO of Verity Barrington and Doctors Living in Ireland. Olivia has been a global physician advocate for the past ten years. Given that role, along with being married to a doctor, Olivia has acquired …
I’ve been honored and privileged to have had recent conversations with two courageous women: Betsy Gall and Pamela Marie Hobby.
Pamela met a medical resident who changed the course of her life on October 28, 2019, and Betsy’s life was forever changed exactly one month later, on November 28, 2019.
Betsy wrote a book to share her family’s story. The title grabbed Pamela immediately, as it aligned with what she was building …
“Creativity is intelligence having fun!”
George Scialabba shared a variation of this quote in a 1984 Harvard Magazine article, though it is often attributed to Albert Einstein.
National Creativity Day is coming up on May 30th. What does that have to do with being a doctor? Everything!
Dr. Amy-Jo Farrow in the U.K. and Dr. Charity Hix in the U.S. speak to the importance of nurturing creativity in our lives. The demands and …
Kim Downey:
I recently had an enlightening conversation with Dr. Sarah Wittry. We enjoyed learning about all that we share in common!
As a physical therapist, I was delighted to hear that Dr. Wittry’s medical career began in physiatry/PM&R.
Having friends and relatives who have benefited from hospice care, I have tremendous respect for her current work in palliative medicine and hospice.
We spoke of how it has felt to each of us to …
One thing that all those years of education, medical training, and textbook studying can never quite fully prepare us for as physicians is crucial conversations with our patients. There’s an element to mastering these conversations that comes with being an attending physician, bearing sole provider responsibility, and having them ourselves. They may start off clunky at first in early practice, but we hope to continually improve with time.
In my practice …
Kim Downey:
“Each year, almost 400 physicians die by suicide.” That sentence stopped me in my tracks.
I’d been reading all the articles here on KevinMD for almost a year when I came across one written by Dr. Avellino, with the opening line above.
One of my amazing doctors had died several months prior. I was, and in some ways still am, struggling with his death from over a year ago.
I clicked on …
I’ve read countless articles, posts, blogs, and books over the past year and a half, written by physicians, and I’ve learned an incredible amount!
Every physician’s voice is special, distinct, and remarkable.
Why write? Write for yourself. Many articles, including at least one study by the American Psychological Association, speak to writing as being a powerful tool for stress relief and healing.
Some physicians write as part of a gratitude practice, some write …
Every physician has a story to tell, about their medical training, about their clinical work. Every story is unique. Simultaneously, there are common shared themes about the joys and the difficulties. These experiences are universal, regardless of gender, specialty, or geographic location.
I asked two physicians, a female ER doctor on the East Coast in the U.S., and a male trauma-informed physician-coach in the U.K., to tell us how their experiences …
During a recent conversation with Dr. Dawn Sears, I mentioned that I was working on a presentation I wish to give locally, speaking on “How caring for your doctor gets you better care.”
Our discussion revealed some important insights all patients should be aware of, which we share here:
1. Let the pilot fly the plane. Passengers generally don’t walk onto an airplane and start complaining to the pilot about their seat …
“All I know is how to be a doctor.” That’s the story many physicians tell themselves when they feel pulled to pivot from direct patient care. Through working with a coach, therapist, or mentor, doctors see there are always other possible paths forward. Sometimes, it’s what you need to do to take care of yourself, short or long term, and there is nothing more important than that…
Charity Hix, MD
I knew …
Challenging and frustrating are two words describing what it feels like to be a doctor today. Yet numerous physicians are sharing their journeys as to how they moved through difficult times and have been able to find joy again by practicing medicine on their own terms.
The following doctors describe how they have continued seeing patients while incorporating additional pursuits that help them feel balanced and fulfilled.
Be sure to watch their …
What is working?
I often encounter variations of this question on social media. The response is frequently met with silence or lackluster positivity.
I’ve engaged in conversations with numerous inspirational physicians who have shared their tales of burnout and recovery.
As part of their healing journeys, in addition to their active medical practices, the physicians below have all obtained coaching certifications. These doctors are now even busier than before, but they find fulfillment …
Physicians are struggling with challenges navigating the health care system while trying to provide the best possible care for their patients. Sometimes, struggles at work are compounded by struggles at home as we all face stressors during our travel through life; doctors are no exception.
Many physicians who went through a period of burnout have sought and are seeking help. They are feeling hope for the future. I asked three physicians …
If you are a patient, we all are at some point. Undoubtedly, you have experienced some of the difficulties patients face today in getting approved for and receiving medical care in a timely fashion. From scheduling doctor visits to undergoing tests, procedures, obtaining medications, and even surgeries, the process can be challenging.
It’s easy to be tempted to blame your doctor for the long wait times to schedule an appointment, the …
Although it could be said that I’ve been very “unlucky” over the past couple of years due to surgeries and treatments for three separate cancers, I feel blessed by how “lucky” I have been to have had a combination of outstanding doctors.
Dealing with ongoing medical issues, as a health care professional, I fully appreciate the challenges facing patients and physicians alike in the current health care climate.
Thank you, doctors, for …
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