Physician Wellness

The CCMS Physician Wellness Program features, among other benefits, confidential, convenient, cost-free access to professional psychological services for all CCMS physician members.

Overview
Schedule Appointments
Additional Wellness Options
How You Can Help
Resources from CCMS Partners
About Physician Burnout

Our hope is that Collier County physicians will seek help as a normal response to acute and chronic stress rather than just “powering through.”

Overview

From difficulties with the healthcare system and work/life balance, to traumatic events, litigation, and difficult patients or colleagues, whatever the issue, PWP services provide a safe harbor to address normal life difficulties and the challenges of a medical career, receive coaching on managing stress and trauma, and reclaim satisfaction in your career and personal life.

CCMS provides up to 6 complimentary sessions with a psychologist per year as a benefit to CCMS members, whether active, retired, adjunct, associate, or resident physician. New applicants will also be eligible; non-members can visit our membership page for information on joining.

CCMS contracts with independent, doctorate-level clinical psychologists who have been evaluated by the volunteer CCMS Physician Wellness Committee members.*

Confidential appointments are self-referred and physician-initiated with no medical diagnoses, no insurance billing, and no electronic records. No member identification or notification are ever provided to employers, CCMS, or board of medicine. If you utilize these services through the program, your identity is never disclosed to others without your written consent. Participating psychologists bill CCMS directly with de-identified data.

*Although CCMS has vetted the contracting therapists for general suitability, basic qualifications, and Florida licensure to provide services, we do not independently verify their credentials nor do we guarantee their suitability for any particular issue for which a CCMS member may seek therapy. Referrals can be made to psychiatric care for more complex medical needs.

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Schedule Appointments

To see a PWP psychologist:

1. Call the PWP member-only appointment line at 239-208-3984 and identify yourself as a CCMS member.
2. Indicate any preferences for psychologist or office location, day of the week, or time of day.
3. Receive same-day response during business hours or next-morning response after hours.
4. See a psychologist within 72 hours to 1 week, possibly sooner for urgent needs, with evening and early morning hours potentially available. (If this is an emergency, please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – 988.)
5. If desired, request information on using private entrances or screened arrival and departure.

Participating Psychologists:

Private appointment line for Physician Wellness Program: 239-208-3984
Note: for patient referrals, please use 239-631-1914 (Naples office) or 239-278-3443 (Ft. Myers office)


Dr. Steven Cohen (Florida Licensed Psychologist #7187) – Naples and Ft. Myers office
Dr. Candice Hurst (Florida Licensed Psychologist #7027) – Naples office

Naples office: 5621 Strand Boulevard, Suite 201, Naples, FL 34110
Ft. Myers office: 12499 Brantley Commons Court, Suite 101, Fort Myers, FL 33907

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Additional Wellness Options

We encourage all members to take advantage of additional CCMS wellness and practice assistance options, such as:

Connect with your colleagues virtually on the CCMS / SWFL Physicians Private Facebook Group (admins approve valid requests to join)

Attend CCMS events, including educational lectures, practice management seminars, and After 5 Socials. CCMS Calendar

Join a CCMS physician fitness or wellness group, such as running, tennis, discussion, fishing, dining, and more. Email CCMS with your name, preferred contact info, and type of group desired.

Take advantage of a fitness center discount — CCMS members are eligible for the Collier County Fitness Centers medical-corporate rate for annual fitness memberships. Sign up at any county fitness facility, ask for the Collier County Medical Society medical-corporate rate. For more details on facility locations and services, visit the fitness centers webpage. Physician affiliates with NCH receive discounted rates at NCH Wellness & Fitness Centers. Call 239-624-2750 downtown and 239-624-6870 North Naples, or email.

Contact CCMS or any board members with your questions, whether you have a practice management concern, want to explore vendor discounts for CCMS members, or have employment conflicts, we’ll do our best to provide answers or find someone who can.

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How You Can Help

The CCMS Physician Wellness Program was created by Collier County Medical Society in 2017. The Society is building funds to operate this vital program in perpetuity. We invite you to help sustain the PWP and the health and well-being of our physicians, which in turn will help them care for their patients. Thank you to the Foundation of Collier County Medical Society, our 501c3 charitable arm, for helping to support this program.

Send tax-deductible contributions to:
Foundation of Collier County Medical Society
Attn: Physician Wellness Program [please also include on memo of check]
88 12th St N, Unit 200
Naples FL  34102

Or call with credit card contributions: 239-435-7727

Contact April Donahue, CCMS Executive Director for details.

Support for the CCMS Physician Wellness Program provided by:
Southwest Florida Physicians Association

The Foundation of Collier County Medical Society, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) organization, State of Florida Registration No. CH38165. Tax ID No. 46-1391700. (A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free 1-800-435-7352. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.)

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Resources from CCMS Partners

About Physician Burnout


Report reveals severity of burnout by specialty – AMA Wire
“Physicians from 27 specialties graded the severity of their burnout on a scale of one to seven in a recent Medscape survey—one being that it does not interfere, and seven indicating thoughts of leaving medicine. All but one specialty selected a four or higher. The most affected specialty? Emergency medicine, with nearly 60 percent of ED physicians saying they feel burned out, up from half in 2013. How can the rising prevalence and severity of burnout be addressed? Regulatory, systemic and practice environment issues appear to be key.”

The problem of martyrdom in medicine – by CCMS member Dr. Rebekah Bernard, Medical Economics
“So if we want to do the right thing for our patients, we have to prioritize our own needs in order to continue to be able to practice medicine over the long haul. The time has come to accept that it is not healthy for us to martyr ourselves on the altar of medicine. We must not use our job as an excuse to avoid nurturing our relationships, or as a security blanket to prevent us from trying things that are new and potentially scary or as a way of feeding our ego.”

Burnout’s other dimension: Eroded sense of medicine as a calling – AMA Wire
“Burnout’s effects on physicians are well documented, but new research puts a finer point on the issue. A core motivation for many physicians to practice medicine—a calling to help people—may be undermined by professional burnout.”

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