03. Housestaff Wellbeing

Almost every program addressed wellness topics related to the pandemic in some capacity, mostly in the form of broadcast emails and practice alerts with few PowerPoint presentations. Some residency programs developed extensive internal content addressed specifically to their residents (e.g., residency-specific conferences, webpages, or handouts), while others directed residents to resources available within their broader health system. Most of the direct communication was from chief residents and program leadership. In general, those programs that addressed resident wellbeing did so by highlighting burnout mitigation strategies and few did so by providing in education about understanding burnout and resilience. Additionally, programs directed residents to resources external to the health system, such as mobile applications for mindfulness/yoga or independent websites addressing wellness topics.

Most residency programs provided residents with information on ways to access mental health support, including employee assistance programs and counseling resources. Beyond this, the scope of wellness topics was broad, encompassing physical health/fitness, family concerns (e.g., backup childcare), spiritual resources, and corporate physician discounts or promotions. A common theme was emphasizing ways to maintain “connectedness” with others while social distancing. Although some of the suggested approaches were explicitly targeted toward building connectivity at work (e.g., outdoor team meals), others were directed at non-work activities (e.g., shared Netflix parties). Many residencies shared information addressing COVID-19 testing for residents, where residents were typically directed to broader institutional organizations (e.g., employee health) for testing. No residency explicitly offered “hazard pay” for the care of COVID-19 patients, although one program said that residents who volunteered to work during their vacation may be able to receive additional compensation. In addition, one program provided an interest-free, small-value loan program for residents who were no longer able to moonlight due to changes in program policy. The overall impression is that university-based programs addressed resident wellness during COVID-19, albeit in a variety of formats.