Campaign Launch to Support "Prescribe Hope: America's Medical Burnout Crisis"

Bringing physicians together to stand up for the sacred patient-physician relationship

April 2024

Dear Medicine Forward Community,

Our collective impact is growing – thanks to our members and donors who have come together to stand up for the sacred patient-physician relationship. We now have over 400 members. Dozens of physicians and other professionals have joined in the past three months.

Medicine Forward unites doctors and change leaders across the country to restore the physician-patient relationship as the heart of medicine. We operate as a multi-disciplinary federation, working at individual, community, and system levels. As part of a broad network of advocates, we seek healthcare transformation that cares for caregivers, ensuring patients and communities receive equitable and sustainable care.

Welcome to the team!

Several national leaders have joined the Medicine Forward Traction Team in recent weeks. Please take a moment to get to know them

• Matthew Zachary, National Patient Advocate

• MaryAnn Wilbur, MD, MPH, MHS, Public Health Strategist

• Eva Lana Minkoff, Healthcare Relationship Development Director

We are currently seeking volunteers to help in the following areas: fundraising, grant writing, social media support, website support, event planning and more. Dedicating a few hours every week or month is a way to contribute to this growing national movement and meet like-minded colleagues.

In addition to individual members, our partnerships and collaborations with other associations and groups seeking transformation is growing. Please help us build the “network of networks” by making a personal introduction from groups of interest to Medicine Forward.

Prescribe Hope: America’s Medical Burnout Crisis

Medicine Forward has embarked on an amazing journey of healing through a groundbreaking audio documentary and grassroots legislative campaign to enact better state-based mental health protections for at-risk medical professionals and their families. This initiative goes beyond raising awareness—it’s about enacting tangible, legislative transformations across the United States to safeguard our healthcare workers’ right to seek help without risking their careers — together with our partners at the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) and alongside change leaders across the country. Please donate to help us achieve our Phase 1 fundraising goal which will set Medicine Forward on a trajectory for significant growth and impact. Learn more.

Coaching and Wellbeing Support

In recognition of the significant increase in physician burnout, moral injury, mental health decay, and suicide, resources to support doctors at the individual and collective levels are needed. The Medicine Forward community includes some of the leading physician coaches and well-being experts in the country. We have an affinity group for coaches who work with physicians to come together to share experiences and resources. Join and learn more.

National In-person Convening

Plans are being developed — in partnership with ICDs Healthcare Burnout Symposium at NYU Langone — for an interactive, collaborative session for Medicine Forward members and non-members to advance national strategies to transform healthcare. Please mark your calendars for November 20.

Additionally, we have updated the Medicine Forward website with new content. Please take a few moments to check it out.

Thank you to our members and donors — we are inspired by how this growing community is developing a clear vision and pathways to truly make a positive difference in the lives of physicians, providers, patients and every member of the care team.

For those not yet members, join today!

Thank you,

Gabe Charbonneau, MD, Co-founder
Todd Otten, MD, Impact Officer
Lisa Scardina, Strategy and Implementation Officer