Wellbeing at Stanford Infectious Diseases

The mission of the Division of Infectious Diseases is to enhance health and resilience through the Stanford Model of Occupational Well-Being™. We focus on:

Culture of Wellness

Fostering supportive leadership and teamwork to promote growth and compassion

Individual Factors

Supporting self-care and mental health resources for our team members

Workplace Efficiency

Streamlining processes to improve safety and effectiveness in care delivery

Together, we aim to lead in infectious diseases management
and create a healthier future for our community.

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Culture of Wellness

Click here to check out our photo albums!

Interest Groups

Our Interest Groups – be it for running, enjoying live music, or exploring nature – are instrumental in building a truly supportive and inclusive environment. By fostering personal connections and shared moments, these groups strengthen mutual respect and ensure a powerful sense of belonging for all faculty, demonstrating our collective commitment to a workplace where every individual feels appreciated and can truly flourish.

Bake Offs

Our semi-annual ID Food Competitions are a beloved highlight, serving up more than just delicious food! These events are instrumental in cultivating a positive and supportive environment by fostering genuine human connection and mutual respect among all faculty. They create opportunities for recognition and a powerful sense of belonging, showcasing that our department values every individual for their unique contributions, both inside and outside of the workplace. Join us – your taste buds and your well-being will thank you!

Commensality

Join a Commensality Group and discover a unique way to enhance your well-being. These monthly meals bring together 4-8 ID faculty members for a relaxed gathering, including a dedicated time to discuss the nuanced virtues and challenges of medical practice. This intimate setting fosters psychological safety, enabling open sharing and reducing feelings of isolation. By validating shared experiences and offering informal support, these groups reinforce a strong teamwork climate and help us all feel truly recognized and valued as we navigate the complexities of our profession.

Wellness Events

Experience the full breadth of our ID community at our larger-scale events! Our annual picnic and Doctor's Day events serve as cornerstones for strengthening division-wide bonds and creating an inclusive environment. These occasions allow all faculty to connect, share moments of joy, and reinforce the profound mutual respect we hold for one another.

Installation of Digital Frame

Catch a glimpse of the vibrant spirit of our ID division! Our new large digital frame is a dynamic visual album, showcasing cherished moments from our interest groups, lively food competitions, and thoughtful commensality meals. This continuous display helps to visually affirm the rich human connections that thrive within our team. By bringing these shared experiences to the forefront, it cultivates a stronger sense of collective identity and belonging for every faculty member. Keep an eye out for upcoming events and new opportunities to connect and reinforce our supportive and collaborative atmosphere!

Individual Factors

Stanford Sweeteners

Cardinal at Work

Kindness Coalition

WellMD Resources

PTO Coverage

Our inbasket coverage schema, leveraging a buddy and pod system, empowers faculty to truly disconnect on PTO. This protects well-being by reducing stress, fostering self-care, and safeguarding vital personal relationships, ensuring our providers return refreshed. 

Work Place Efficiency

Listening Rounds

We use Listening Rounds to directly tap into the lived experiences of frontline staff.  They provide a crucial channel for identifying inefficient workplace systems, ensuring that those closest to the processes – including physicians and scientists – are actively involved in workflow redesign. By offering an open forum, listening rounds facilitate feedback on critical areas such as streamlining documentation processes, reducing EHR inbox burden, and defining staff/provider roles and responsibilities.

Clinic Inbasket Management

Our initiative aims to eliminate wasted time and effort by streamlining communication protocols and minimizing administrative tasks, allowing providers to dedicate their expertise to patient care rather than inbox management. The result is a more effective and productive clinical environment, leading to reduced operational friction and higher quality care.

Clinic Best Practices

Coming soon! We will be developing tools to assist in defining roles and expectations of our clinic team members. By clearly defining the roles of supportive staff, nurses, and providers, we plan to foster an efficient infectious diseases clinic. Role clarity will optimize workflow, minimize wasted effort, and enable each team member to practice at their highest capability, directly contributing to quality care and positive interactions. This structured approach ensures that our clinic operates smoothly and effectively, maximizing the impact of every individual's contribution.

Resources for Burn Out

Burnout is critically important for Infectious Diseases (ID) providers due to the immense and ongoing pressures post-pandemic. Not only do studies show that physicians are more likely to burn out compared to the general population, more specific studies of ID physicians show over half report burnout and few are satisfied with work-life balance. This severe toll jeopardizes not only individual well-being but also increases the risk of medical errors and drives thoughts of leaving the profession, directly threatening the quality of patient care, workforce retention, and the long-term vitality of this critical medical specialty.