Who should serve on our physician health committee?
For the most part, the physician health committee (PHC) is composed of senior medical staff members who are respected by their colleagues for their fairness and wisdom and who have a passion for patient safety and physician advocacy. It may be helpful if such individuals have complementary expertise in behavioral fields to provide necessary skills and understanding. However, this decision is up to each medical staff.
All members must understand that their role is not to treat physicians who display disruptive behavior, mental illness, aging, or impairment. Rather, their role is to find resources to help the physician and monitor his or her progress. Any member of the PHC should have extensive education and experience involving disruptive behavior and impairment.