WHO I AM
I am the wife of a pilot-turned-preacher, the happy mom of three terrific children, and a leader in healthcare for twenty-five years. My life was transformed years ago through a heartfelt prayer. Since then, my work as a physician turned into a ministry as I learned to care for people from the heart. I strive to care for the soul and minister to the spirit while treating the body.
With twenty-five years in clinical medicine and over two decades in active ministry, I enjoy coming alongside my physician colleagues as a certified coach specializing in physician wellness, "burnout" prevention, leadership development, life-work integration, and advocacy. This aspect of my professional life has been a beautiful gift, and I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving physicians through a coaching relationship.
I served as chief resident and as president of the Florida Association of Family Medicine Residents. I have served two terms on the exceptional Board of Directors of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians and am honored to chair the Physician Wellness initiative. I am a graduate of the Florida Medical Association (FMA) Physician Leadership Academy and was proud to assist the 2018 launch of the FMA’s statewide Healthy Living initiative.
I feel blessed by the many opportunities I have to enhance physician/medical professional wellness and teach about (redefine!) and prevent "burnout" at the local, state, and national level. I am also thrilled that so many professionals from non-clinical fields find my latest book, Recapturing Joy in Medicine, relevant to their personal and professional lives as well, and continue to invite me as a speaker and retreat leader to their groups and events. Indeed, whole-person wellness and prioritizing our humanity is vital for us all!
RECAPTURING JOY IN MEDICINE TOGETHER
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WHAT I DO
I serve my colleagues, medical schools, residency programs, hospitals, and organizations by speaking at conferences and events, coaching physicians one-on-one and in groups, and designing and facilitating workshops, seminars, and retreats. I also speak at churches and faith-based organizations, and design and lead retreats based on my four books, which include:
- Recapturing Joy in Medicine: A Coaching Manual for Physicians to Live Well and Lead Effectively
- Walking with Jesus in Healthcare: A 120-day devotional to refresh your soul as you care for others
- The 3 Y’s of Faith: Keys to a fruitful walk with God
- The Ultimate Girls’ Body Book: Not-so-silly questions about your body
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- Minnesota Medical Association
- Florida Medical Association
- American College of Cardiology
- Florida Academy of Family Physicians
- Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians
- Christian Medical & Dental Associations
- Catholic Medical Association
- Family Medicine Education Consortium
- Christian Community Health Fellowship
- Women in Medicine and Dentistry
- Orlando Health
- AdventHealth Systems
- Halifax Medical Center
- Florida Medical Clinic
- FACTS
- A&M College of Law
- Florida Southern College
- Latina Style Business
- Institute of Christian Studies
- Miami Larkin Health Systems
- Reimbursement Rx
- Multiple medical schools and residency programs
- Retreat centers and churches
- High schools, college campuses, and more!
WHY FAITHFULMD
To be “faithful” is to be steadfast and unswerving. The faithful are devoted to a way of being and to their mission. Trustworthy and dependable, they stand out because what they do follows who they are. I aspire to be faithful in everything I do because of my faith:
- in God,
- in my training and experience as a physician, coach, educator, and advocate, and
- in people's remarkable God-given potential.
Beyond "burnout," physicians are suffering from moral distress and moral injury, forced to choose between competing priorities constantly. In this climate, we must choose to be faithful in large and small things without compromising who we are, what we know is right, or the pledge we made to our patients when we became physicians. As the leaders in medicine, it is imperative for each of us to remain a faithfulMD.
Join me in a revolution for each of us to embody personally what is so often lacking in our organizations: (1) a genuine focus on wellness of mind, body, soul, and spirit, (2) prioritizing our humanity, and (3) the restoration of the patient-physician relationship to the center of all we do. By doing so, we will transform healthcare — one interaction at a time.
