We expect a lot from our health professionals. They are constantly under pressure to perform and when making decisions that will affect the health and well-being of their patients, there is no room for error.
However, they are human, too. They can succumb to burnout/stress, addictions, emotional or mental illness, and behavioral issues, like everyone else. The difference is their problems can directly impact the safety of the patients they care for. Fortunately the Tennessee Medical Foundation's Physician's Health Program (PHP) addresses health concerns that are specific to health professionals while working to protect the safety of patients in Tennessee.
How It WorksIn 1978, the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) Board of Trustees established a committee for the purpose of offering professional assistance to physicians suffering from chemical dependencies. In 1992, the TMA transferred oversight and management of the program to the Tennessee Medical Foundation (TMF),
a 501(c)3 organization.
The mission of the Physician's Health Program (PHP) is to protect patients through identification, intervention, rehabilitation, and the provision of advocacy/support for physicians and other health professionals impaired by addictive disease, mental or emotional illness.
The TMF operates solely on contributions from individual physicians and the general public, hospitals, medical groups and other health organizations, as well as grants. You can help support the TMF through donations, annual gifts and planned giving. Please contact us and find out how you can support our program to help physicians heal.
Donate NowTMF Medical Director Dr. Michael Baron is a contributing author to a chapter on “Fitness for Duty” in the January 2024 edition of the Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences. Written for neurologists who specialize in Fitness for Duty evaluations of health professionals, the chapter describes the key considerations for these FFD evaluations for safety-sensitive workers,…
Read MoreAs the TMF celebrates 45 years of Saving Lives, Saving Careers in 2023, we are also honoring the 34th observance of National Recovery Month. Every September, the TMF joins recovery-focused organizations and individuals in raising public awareness surrounding mental health and addiction recovery. We promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the strong…
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