Columbus Medical Association Launches "Doc to Doc" Peer Support Program

The Columbus Medical Association (CMA), in partnership with Ohio Professionals Health Program (OhioPHP), is launching a new support program that provides physicians the chance to talk with a peer about stressors they are encountering. Putting physicians health care at the forefront can be tough considering the daily demands on and outside of the job.

“Frequently the best person to reach out to for support is another physician because they've gone through the same type of training, they have the same type of responsibility, and most likely they've been in a tough situation as well,” stated Stephanie Costa, MD, Doc to Doc Director. 

The Doc to Doc Peer Support program is designed to provide access to an empathetic network of physician peers who have been professionally trained to support colleagues in need. The goal is to ensure Central Ohio physicians feel emotional and psychological support from those who have walked in their shoes. 

"Unfortunately physicians are really reluctant to reach out for that help because either they're embarrassed, they don't want to burden their colleagues, or they don't even know how to reach out,” stated Stephanie Costa, MD. "Sometimes they [physicians] can just spiral into a situation where they feel really hopeless and really beaten up by the the whole situation so that's why we thought it was really important to create the Doc to Doc Peer Support program through the Columbus Medical Association." 

All participation in the Doc to Doc Peer Support program is confidential, free, and completely voluntary. We encourage all Central Ohio health systems to share this new resource with their physicians.

Learn more about Doc to Doc at columbusmedicalassociation.org/doctodoc