UPMC's LifeSolutions Offering Physician Assistance Services To Health Care Organizations

PITTSBURGH, April 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Physician Assistance Services (PAS), a program developed by LifeSolutions and UPMC's Physician Services Division in 2005 to serve UPMC-employed physicians, is now available to all health care organizations nationwide.

LifeSolutions, an affiliate of UPMC WorkPartners and UPMC, developed PAS with physicians and physician leaders. Its goal was twofold: (1) provide over 3,000 UPMC-employed physicians with easy-to-access resources to better manage their demanding lives at work and home; and (2) support physician leaders and health systems with services that address the impact of negative workplace behavior and assure a culture of collaboration, safety, and success.  

Now, PAS is available to any health care organization that seeks to benefit from the expertise and experience LifeSolutions and its staff have developed over the past eight years.

"Based on our in-depth understanding of health care, we have a unique perspective," said Sandra Caffo, Senior Director of LifeSolutions. "PAS is designed to help organizations create a culture of collaboration which includes a respectful work environment. That can lead to a reduction in medical errors, which positively impacts the cost of care while also improving staff retention."

PAS consists of three programs: physician support, addressing problematic physician behavior, and physician onboarding. The three programs span the employment cycle of a physician — from recruitment through the adjustment phase, to active physician and health system congruence and success.

The physician support program is designed specifically to help physicians and their household members avoid burnout and manage personal and work-related challenges. These include depression, stress, conflict resolution, time management, and other work-life issues.

"Our professionals are experienced in serving physicians and their families," said Ms. Caffo. "They understand the unique demands of 24/7 service delivery and patient care."

Addressing problematic physician behavior enables a health care organization and the physician to successfully address behavior which can have a negative impact on service delivery. Issues are resolved by consulting with the health care organization's physician leaders regarding how to address the problematic physician behavior and by working with the physician directly to correct the identified behavior. Program components include physician leadership meetings to introduce the program and provide ongoing updates leadership consultation and physician coaching.

The physician onboarding program places emphasis on the fact that health care organizations value interpersonal skills along with clinical expertise. One big factor in a physician's success after being hired is how well he or she understands and adapts to the hospital's or health care organization's culture.

"Today's health care landscape continues to evolve," said Ms. Caffo. "In order to thrive, physicians, leaders and the health care organization need to be confident that they can successfully deal with the inevitable, but temporary, challenges and setbacks they will face.

"LifeSolutions' PAS program can help a health care system create a resilient culture that is crucial to success."

The PAS program can be purchased as a stand-alone product by any physician practice or hospital system. To inquire about purchasing the program, email [email protected], or call the UPMC WorkPartners sales team at 1-866-229-3507. More information about the program is available online by going to  lifesolutionsforyou.com, clicking  "Customizing Your Plan," and then clicking "Physician Assistance Services."

To learn more about PAS, you can request a recording of a recent LifeSolutions webinar, "The Physician's Role in a Changing Health Care System," which is available by emailing [email protected]. Or, visit www.workpartners.com/webinars.html.

About LifeSolutions

LifeSolutions is part of the UPMC WorkPartners' suite of health and productivity solutions and is an affiliated partner of the UPMC Insurance Services Division. LifeSolutions provides strategic analysis, recommendations and consultation to enhance an organization's performance and business success. LifeSolutions leverages the value of a company's investment in human capital by increasing engagement and productivity in the workplace, developing leadership competencies and nurturing resilience in individuals and organizations. LifeSolutions has been providing employee assistance programs and services to employers for over 30 years. For more information about LifeSolutions, visit www.lifesolutionsforyou.com.

SOURCE UPMC Health Plan