Signs of Concern

What to Look For:

Personality Changes

Direct statements indicating distress
Constant sadness or tearfulness
Constant anxiety or irritability
Unprovoked anger or hostility
Expressions of hopelessness or worthlessness

Behavioral Changes

Deterioration in quality of work
A negative change in performance
Repeated absences from important activities
Continual seeking of special accommodations
Repeated trouble getting along with others

Physical Changes

Deterioration in physical appearance
Visible weight changes
Excessive fatigue
Sleeping much more or much less
Coming to work bleary-eyed or smelling of alcohol
Needle marks or bandages

Workplace Changes

Patient or staff complaints
Unusual pattern of prescribing of drugs
Inappropriate orders
Personal administration of drugs to patients
Unreachable when on call

Other Factors to Consider

Personal losses (e.g., divorce, deaths)
Decreased self-care (e.g., discontinuing exercise)
Expression of concern noted by peers
A hunch or gut-level feeling on your part that something is wrong

ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPEN POSITION AT PHS

PHS is actively recruiting for a Medical Director. This is a unique opportunity to be an important part of a mission driven non-profit organization that supports the health, well-being, and effectiveness of physicians and medical students in MA. PHS is currently accepting applications, through the job posting here: MMS website. Please review the job description and apply. You may also contact a member of the search committee: Mary Anna Sullivan, MD, Chair, PHS Board of Directors; Glenn Pransky, MD, Director, PHS Board of Directors; Booker Bush, MD, Director, PHS Board of Directors; Dustin Patil, MD, Director, PHS Board of Directors; Bara Litman-Pike, PsyD, Executive Director PHS.

PHS is looking for great candidates to apply to this important position. We welcome your interest. The job is posted on this link on the MMS website.**

ANNOUNCEMENT

PHS is sad to announce that Dr. Steven Adelman has decided to step down from his current position as Medical Director of Physician Health Services, Inc at the end of February 2021. During his eight (8) years of service his efforts have touched the lives and helped the careers of more than one thousand distressed physicians and medical students. He has brought a commitment and passion to the pursuit of PHS’s mission, while expanding the breadth, depth and quality of its services. His success is our success.

Dr. Adelman is planning to pursue other professional interests and opportunities. As PHS begins its search for a new Medical Director, Dr. Adelman will be an important part of our search team, and he will work closely with PHS’s Executive Director, Dr. Bara Litman-Pike.

PHS is very grateful for Dr. Adelman’s leadership and service. His work and that of his staff has been a source of pride to all of us at PHS and MMS. The medical profession and its patients are the ultimate beneficiaries of his tireless efforts.

PHS is looking for great candidates to apply to this important position. We welcome your interest. The job is posted on this link on the MMS website.

The 23rd PHS Annual Dinner Gathering, originally scheduled for May 6, 2020, will be postponed and rescheduled for a later date in 2020 due to the current COVID-19 healthcare crisis. PHS looks forward to seeing everyone and will send an announcement once a new date has been determined. Please contact 781-434-7404 if you have questions. Thank you for all you do.

As you may know, the Board of Registration in Medicine has enacted new regulations for Massachusetts licensed physicians. Please be assured that PHS continues to provide confidential consultation and assistance, without change, to MA physicians, medical students, and medical leaders. Please feel free to call PHS (781-434-7404) with any questions.

- August 14, 2019

2019 Annual Report

In Honor Of

Michael Palmer, MD

The Michael Palmer, MD Medical Student Health Lecture Series

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(781) 434-7404 | (800) 322-2303 x7404 | Fax (781) 893-5321 | Email physicianhealthservices@mms.org
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