New Advisory Council Gives VITAL WorkLife Expanded Strategic Direction Supporting Emotional Health of Employees and Healthcare Workers

Team of four national leaders sign on to guide growth and focus

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Jan 18, 2022, 08:59 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VITAL WorkLife, the national leader in behavioral health consulting to professionals and organizations in the healthcare industry, announced it has launched an Advisory Council of industry leaders. Members of the Advisory Council have a unique opportunity to influence and contribute to VITAL WorkLife's vision of supporting the well being of physicians and their families to be their best selves as they help their patients live healthy lives.

VITAL WorkLife's focus on the emotional and behavioral well being of physicians and healthcare teams, has made it the national leader in comprehensive well being solutions designed specifically for healthcare. Workers in the US healthcare industry, considered the best in the world, require special programs which focus on their unique needs. The intensity of behavioral and emotional health issues for physicians has emerged as a secondary pandemic as a result of COVID-19. With an aging physician workforce and some leaving the profession due to current stressors, it is expected to leave a shortage of 50,000 physicians in 2022.¹ Compound that with data showing that 58%² of physicians reported experiencing burnout and that paints a challenging picture of the healthcare landscape for years to come.

The purpose of the Advisory Council is to provide guidance to the VITAL WorkLife leadership team to help identify and shape solutions for clients and to contribute to the overall vision of the company.

"I'm excited about the expertise, insights and influence of the Advisory Council, which will help us ensure our solutions are meaningful to the physicians, care teams and healthcare workers we serve—while providing the outcomes and evidence their organizations value."

– Mitch Best, CEO of VITAL WorkLife

Members of the Advisory Council bring vast market experiences and industry expertise—advocating for the unique interests of physicians, providers and healthcare professionals who are faced with complex, industry-specific challenges.

Paul DeChant, MD, MBA, FAAFP - Dr. DeChant (San Francisco) is an internationally recognized expert on clinician burnout and Consultant with VITAL WorkLife. He speaks from the unique combined experience as a family physician, former CEO of Sutter Gould Medical Foundation and consultant to C-level leaders on reducing burnout while building the bottom line. He also co-authored, "Preventing Physician Burnout: Curing the Chaos and Returning Joy to the Practice of Medicine."

Gaurava Agarwal, MD - Dr. Agarwal (Chicago) is a board-certified psychiatrist and certified well being and organizational leadership coach who has been a Peer Coach with VITAL WorkLife since 2020. He currently serves as the Director of Physician Well Being for Northwestern Medicine's Medical Group and Director of Faculty Wellness for Northwestern University. He is a nationally recognized educator and physician well being expert who specializes in occupational and organizational psychiatry with an emphasis on workplace mental health.

Chris Cavazos - Mr. Cavazos (New York City) brings three decades of experience in various executive-level positions in managed behavioral health care, Employee Assistance/Work Life and Wellness programs. Mr. Cavazos earned a Master's degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Health/Behavioral Health Services Administration from the University of Memphis, a Master of Science degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Tennessee and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi.

PJ Calkins – Mr. Calkins (Rochester, MN) is the President and CEO of The Well-Being Index. For over fifteen years, he has served as a business leader and operations executive for a wide variety of complex companies, leading with the belief that supporting staff is the most essential step in reaching goals. PJ has helped organizations around the world identify causes of employee distress and implement resources to improve staff mental health—as well as sharing insights with leaders striving to improve the well being of their teams.

Contact:
Leonard Pesheck
[email protected]
877.731.3949

About VITAL WorkLife

Serving the U.S. healthcare industry since 2007, VITAL WorkLife is a physician-focused national behavioral health consulting practice supporting all dimensions of well being in the workplace with a multitude of offerings.

¹ https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/
² Medscape's Physician Nonclinical Careers Report 2021 published Oct. 8

SOURCE VITAL WorkLife