ASA Calls for Removal of Divisive Anti-Physician Goal from NAM Clinician Well-Being Collaborative Document

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has called upon the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to remove an anti-physician “goal” or recommendation from its “Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience.”  The ill-advised recommendation calls for the removal of important physician oversight of non-physician professionals from the care of patients. In a formal communication to NAM, and a subsequent press release, ASA noted that introducing this inflammatory, non-consensus recommendation is contrary to the purpose of the NAM documents - to address health care workers’ well-being. Instead, the NAM recommendation risks introducing stress and conflict into the workplace, as well as the potential for increased burnout among the very stakeholders the Collaborative seeks to help.