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Resident Wellness Program

Yuma Regional Medical Center is committed to helping our Residents balance the increasing demands of the modern healthcare environment. This is why we focus on providing resources that promote Residents’ wellness and satisfaction. We know the importance of supporting, encouraging and developing our Residents, so they are best poised to deliver excellent, safe and quality care. Family Medicine Residents

Burnout, stress and work-overload have become a pervasive problem among healthcare providers. Major national studies suggest that nearly half of physicians and nurses in the U.S. experience professional burnout, a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (treating people like objects) and a low sense of meaning and purpose in work. Extensive evidence now demonstrates that burnout and distress undermine not only commitment and dedication among health care providers, but also erode professionalism, reduce quality of care and contribute to medical errors. Burnout can also lead to job turnover and reduction in discretionary effort (the level of effort given above the minimum requirement).

On the other end of the scale, there are countless positive outcomes associated with high well-being. Physicians who enjoy a good mental quality of life, along with a strong sense of meaning in their work, demonstrate greater empathy, engagement and discretionary effort. Physician well-being is important to patients and to the physicians themselves. That wellbeing is crucial to the health of our entire system of health care delivery.

The areas of focus within Yuma Regional Medical Center's Resident wellness program are:

Emotional Health

There are times when stressors can get in the way of balancing the demands of professional and personal life. Without help, support and resources, problems can intensify, having an effect on emotional and physical well-being and professional success. Our program offers Residents guidance, assessment and referral to several mental health resources, including individual and couples counseling, substance abuse assessments and counseling, and medication monitoring and assessment. Specialists are also available to meet with Residents to discuss topics such as depression, burnout, suicide, anxiety, time management and disruptive behavior. One-on-one counseling for personal and professional development is also available.

In addition, our department of Graduate Medical Education requires program directors to ensure that resident scheduling is done with deliberate intention of enhancing the learning experience through deliberate schedules, protected time for didactics, progressive autonomy, and minimizing non-physician obligations (ie. transporting patients, drawing own labs, filing patient charts, etc.).

Physical Health

Yuma Regional Medical Center's internal wellness program, Fit for Life, is available to help Residents focus on key areas of physical health, including nutrition, exercise and tobacco use. Services provided include: One-on-one wellness coaching, self-directed challenges, educational presentations and demonstrations, biometric screenings, newsletters and fitness classes.

Residents must have time to attend medical appointments, mental health appointments, dental care appointments, and any other personal care needs. In order to facilitate this, each program will make residents aware of at least 4 different time slots, within the same academic year, when this can be achieved.

Spiritual Health

Your spiritual care is very important to us. Spirituality demonstrates that people are not merely physical bodies that require mechanical care. Research demonstrates that people finding their spirituality helps them cope with illness, trauma, loss and life transitions by integrating body, mind and spirit. Yuma Regional Medical Center employs a team of full-time chaplains who can help Residents with crisis intervention, critical incident stress management, facilitation of staff communication, conflict resolution and much more.

Financial Health

As a YRMC employee, you are eligible for various financial programs to help you remain financially healthy. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP), SupportLinc, provides financial assistance including telephonic consultation with financial professionals to assist with debt reduction, home buying, budgeting and bankruptcy prevention. SupportLinc also provides access to certified financial planners for such planning and long-term goal setting. In addition, YRMC offers several other employee benefits, including a qualified retirement plan.