“In my later years of practice, I became more and more convinced that ‘a pill for every ill’ approach, without addressing underlying lifestyle choices, is detrimental to patient health and costly for everyone.” These are the words of Dr. Tracey Lane Delaplain ’87 M.D. who, along with Thomas Walter Delaplain ’86 (geophysics) and Patrick Delaplain ’14 M.D. recently co-established the Delaplain Family Lifestyle Medicine Endowment at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine to combat burnout among future healthcare providers.
The newly established endowment aims to support the mental health and physical wellness of medical students by funding and providing educational programs and workshops focused on lifestyle modifications and healthy living practices. The goal is to teach practices that help alleviate burnout and encourage healthy lifestyle choices for students preparing to enter the medical field. These future healthcare providers may eventually inspire their future patients to adopt a healthier lifestyle as well.
“If I could go back in time, I would have found lifestyle medicine earlier and could have prevented so much patient suffering from preventable diseases and cancers. It’s essential for physicians to learn tools and practices that promote their own wellness and that of their patients,” Dr. Tracey Delaplain said.
The endowment could not come at a more pressing time. Various studies and research papers, including the New England Journal of Medicine and the National Academy of Medicine, indicate that the number of healthcare providers experiencing at least one symptom of burnout has been increasing. Symptoms of burnout include emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, low sense of personal accomplishment, and high levels of stress. The consequences of increased burnout of healthcare providers include lower quality care for patients and higher risk of medical errors.
“It’s essential for physicians to learn tools and practices that promote their own wellness and their patients” – Dr. Tracey Delaplain.
The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated an already alarming rate of burnout among healthcare providers. The onslaught of millions of sick patients requiring medical attention strained the healthcare industry and put it on the brink of collapse, which resulted in many workers exiting the field.
“We aspire to create a generation of physicians who are not only skilled clinicians, but also exemplary role models for personal health and wellness,” Dr. Delaplain said. “When most chronic illnesses are the direct result of poor diets, lack of physical activity, exposure to toxins, and isolation within our communities, it’s crucial to emphasize to future generations of physicians the importance of lifestyle medicine for themselves and their patients.”
Lauren Schwarz, the newly appointed associate dean of institutional wellness in the School of Medicine, will oversee the design and implementation of the new well-being program in the coming months. She plans to begin hosting listening sessions with medical students, residents, physicians and staff to identify the needs of the community ahead of the roll out of the programs.
“We hope to use these programs to attract more alumni and community members who want to invest or contribute to the well-being of our healthcare workforce coming out of the School of Medicine,” Schwarz said. “If we don’t address the alarming rate of burnout experienced by healthcare providers, it poses risk for the nation, especially during future public health crises.”
These developing programs will be used to address the current environment of burnout among clinicians, health professionals, learners, faculty and staff, with the goal of fostering institutional changes that prioritize professional fulfillment and optimized patient care. Once finalized and launched, the programs will receive ongoing funding on a yearly basis through the endowment.
“The overarching goal of my role is to collaborate with the School of Medicine community to build this well-being program that improves our work-life balance,” Schwarz said. “We aim to form a committee of well-being advocates across all areas of concentration in the medical field. These programs will enhance work culture, efficiency and personal resilience that empowers healthcare providers to adopt healthier lifestyles, reduce stress and burnout, and show patients how these practices can ultimately facilitate their recovery and improve health outcomes.”