Prescription for physician executives: take care of your doctors

Considerable attention is paid to employee assistance plans in business and medical groups. Successful plans have improved employee retention, productivity, and morale. But physicians tend to resist these plans, because inherent in a physician's egostructure is a perception that physicians do not need support. In assessing unrest among the doctors in our clinic, it seems to me that our physicians clearly need tender, loving care. This article is a summary of areas in which care can be usefully provided.