Health care provider burnout is on the rise, impacting providers both professionally and personally.1 In 2021, 63% of physicians reported symptoms of burnout, compared to 38% in 2020.2 To better support providers who are delivering critically-needed care, Mass General Brigham’s Outreach Program with Native American Communities aims to strengthen Navajo Area Indian Health Service providers and the communities that they serve across rural New Mexico and Arizona.
With $150K in funding from UnitedHealthcare, these faculty volunteers are working to deliver peer support and to improve providers’ mental health and well-being. To date, the organization has deployed resources to meet key needs:
- Provider and staff mental health: on-site visits from mental health professionals, coaching sessions to providers, and “stress first aid” events supporting all staff.
- Provider clinical education support: provider enrollment in Harvard Medical School clinical courses and education expenses for Native American students to train to become EMTs.
- Community support: supplies like blood pressure cuffs to support home monitoring and to meet social needs at the Sih Hasin Street Clinic of Northern Navajo Medical Center.
- Cultural appreciation and healing: traditional Native healing ceremonies and new murals by Native artists in Navajo Area Indian Health Service hospitals.
To learn more, watch the video above to hear from Dr. Shelly Greenfield of Mass General Brigham’s McLean Hospital about the importance of investing in providers’ health and well-being, so they can continue to deliver excellent care to their patients and communities.
