About CCIPC

Happy Physicians = Happy and Healthy Patients

In 2019, a group of concerned physicians from the Cape Cod Hospital Bylaws committee came together to talk about quality of life and the problem of physicians leaving our area. It was at that meeting that the Cape Cod Hospital medical staff well-being committee was born. We were (and still are) deeply concerned with the levels of burnout throughout medicine and the unhappiness and dissatisfaction of our fellow physicians and healthcare providers. Over the first three years, we piloted the CCHC mentor program, and made great strides in improving physician burnout and satisfaction.  Looking for ways to broaden our impact, in 2022, the Cape Cod & Islands Physician Council was created in order to help all physicians on the Cape and Islands, regardless of specialty or work location.  We incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity officially in 2023, and have been able to hold a total of 9 events from Falmouth to Truro, with 563 attendees thus far, to date.  Through connecting with each other, we have prevented the loss of - so far - 7 doctors from Cape Cod, which has led to better continuity of care for their ~14,000+ patients.  We are always looking for ways to connect with others and improve their experience ultimately improving the quality of care and satisfaction of our patients.

What is well-being?

When many physicians hear the term wellness or well-being, they think we are going to be promoting meditation, yoga, healthy eating, and exercise. While resilience and self-care are key components of personal wellness, it is not exclusively what we focus on. Burnout in medicine is a system problem, not an individual problem. Lack of resilience in physicians is not what is leading to the burnout crisis in healthcare. In fact, Physicians and other healthcare providers have higher levels of resilience than individuals in other fields. We want to improve the work environment and increase professional and personal satisfaction, with the ultimate goal of improving efficiency and patient care. We want physicians to be a highly functional team who can depend on each other and care for one another.