IM_P&P_Physician Health

	INTERNAL MEDICINE POLICIES & PROCEDURES Internal Medicine Policy And Procedure on Physician Health and Well-Being	Policy Number : 5
		Date Issued : 1994
		Prior Revision Date : 11/2002
		Date Revised : 08/2009

PURPOSE

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas is committed to promoting a safe and healthy work environment, to ensure the safety and well being of its patients, visitors, and employees. It is the policy of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas to provide to the best of its ability, a working environment that is free of the problems associated with the behavior resulting from untreated mental or physical illness, abuse and misuse of drugs or alcohol.

SCOPE

Applies to all interns and residents (hereafter all will be referred to as trainees) in the Internal Medicine training program on the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas campus.

PROVISIONS

Any trainee exhibiting behavioral signs indicative of untreated mental or physical illness or abuse or misuse of alcohol or drugs should be reported immediately to the Program Director.

The trainee in question will meet with the Program Director who will communicate the allegation(s).

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas will drug/alcohol test any trainee who is reasonably suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol or who is involved in a work related injury. The Program Director or the Assigned Faculty Attending may ask the trainee to give a blood or urine sample at the initial meeting. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas will remove from the workplace assignment any trainee whose behavior is considered impaired. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas also reserves the right to search the trainee and/or his work area as outlined by policy.

If the use, abuse, or misuse of alcohol and/or drugs is confirmed by positive tests and confidential results provided to the Program Director, the Committee on Physician Health and Well Being will be contacted to assist the Program Director in the management of the trainee. The trainee will either be terminated from employment or will enter into a rehabilitation program as determined by the Program Director.

The trainee who is found to have a physical or mental impairment, which interferes with the provision of care to patients, may be relieved of his/her duties and given a leave of absence to receive treatment. The trainee will be evaluated after treatment by the Committee on Physician Health and Well Being and a recommendation will be made to the Program Director concerning the trainee’s return to work.

The trainee will have all of the resources provided to employees of THR through the confidential Employee Assistance Program including assistance for stress and anxiety, family problems, depression, career pressures, and alcohol and drug use, abuse or misuse.

The trainee will be terminated immediately for a repeated confirmed violation of the provisions of the THR Drug Free Workplace Policy applicable to all employees of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. The trainee will not be provided the option to enter into a rehabilitation program for a second time.


	MARK FELDMAN, M.D. Chairman, Internal Medicine Program Director, Internal Medicine	BRUCE BOUGENO Vice President, Medical Staff Affairs