Internal Medicine Los Angeles Medical Center - Physician Well-Being & Fulfillment

Philosophy on Well-Being and Fulfillment

Our program believes that well-being is derived from a sense of competence, autonomy, and relatedness, and that professional fulfillment is derived from a personal sense of resilience and a culture that promotes well-being, efficiency of practice.

To this end, our approach to Well-Being and Fulfillment is multifaceted, focusing on an individualized learning plan that places the resident in the driver’s-seat, providing a flexibility to personalize their experiences, and fostering community through various efforts such as family groups. Further, we aim to help you focus on being the best physician you can be – eliminating non-physician obligations, streamlining processes, and giving you the tools you need to care for your patients.

Moreover, we believe that our family expands beyond our own program to include our patients, the hospital’s staff, and the local community. We believe that a safe and inclusive learning environment, cultural sensitivity training, and community engagement is crucial to developing our sense of community.

Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to the principles of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) for all, and is recognized by sources such as Fortune and the Corporate Equality Index as one of the best workplaces for diversity. For more information, please check out: Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity at Kaiser Permanente. You can also read about some of Kaiser Permanente’s initiatives in the links below.

Our program believes that a key component to promoting wellness is to create and maintain a safe and inclusive environment that is conducive to learning. We have a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of harassment. Residents are provided training in topics of bias, harassment, cultural sensitivity, among others, as part of the Belong@KP campaign. 

We also desire to be proactive in our approach to building a culture of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity.  Our curriculum includes unique experiences in the LGBTQ elective as well as the HIV medicine elective. We are continuing to build our health disparities curriculum in conjunction with our primary care and community medicine electives, and our EID curriculum with initiatives such as the Literature in Medicine book club. We support resident participation in organizations such as SNMA and LMSA and APAMSA. Our residents can partake in various KP-sponsored symposia such as the LGBTQ symposium and are involved in groups such as the EID committee and the Women in Medicine group. 

Links: 

A Leader in LGBTQ Health Care Equality | Kaiser Permanente 

Recognized Again for Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion | Kaiser Permanente 

Supporting Access to Telehealth for Vulnerable Populations | Kaiser Permanente 

Furthering Equity Among Latino Communities | Kaiser Permanente 

Community Engagement

Our program believes in a spirit of Volunteerism. 

The Internal Medicine Residency Program donates 80 volunteer hours every month and provides financial support to local free clinics, including the Hollywood-Sunset Free Clinic and KHEIR Community Clinic. The mission of the free clinics is to care for the underserved by providing high quality health care for all, regardless of ability to pay. Our residents provide medical services in health screening and prevention, urgent care, chronic diseases, STD’s, and contraception. 

Residents also mentor inner-city students from the Helen Bernstein STEM Academy. Activities include teaching physical exams, suturing workshops, debate moderator on current health policies, chaperone to Body Worlds Exhibit, and Simulation Center. 

Our volunteerism extends beyond the clinical realm as well. Kaiser Permanente staff volunteer in local community events such as clean-ups and food drives via Kaiser Permanente’s internal volunteerism website, KPCares, which makes signing up and coordinating with others easy to do. 

All categorical Internal Medicine housestaff, as well as the Program Director himself, participate in these community outreach projects, in coordination with the UCLA Kennamer/Kaiser Community Medicine Fellowship program. We are also supported by the Song-Brown program, which is aimed at developing health care in underserved areas.  

We believe one of the keys to personal growth and success is the opportunity and ability to process your experiences. We have begun a Narrative Medicine curriculum that allows residents time and a safe space to reflect on their experiences and share them with each other. Through this, we have gained strength in knowing we are not alone in our emotional journeys through medicine. 

Big Sib Little Sib Families

The Big Sib Little Sib families were created as a foundation for wellness within the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Interns are welcomed into existing families based on hobbies, professional goals or prior connections. Within these families, residents serve as a source of guidance and advice for interns. Each family receives an annual stipend to spend on activities such as dinners, movies, coffee or anything that brings the family together.