CMDA Podcasts

Medical liability is a looming threat to the well-being of every practitioner, and a medical malpractice suit is one of the most stressful events in the life of a clinician. On this episode, Dr. Paul Warrick, an ENT specialist who chairs the CMDA Medical Malpractice Ministry, offers valuable insights for dealing with this challenge.

Dr. David Larson retired as chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and now serves as a site visitor for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The ACGME recognizes the importance of attending to the well-being of residents and fellows, and has authored programmatic requirements to that end. On this episode, Dr. Larson shares his insights into the development of a reflective physician.

General Mark Hertling retired from the US Army in 2013 after 38 years of service. He finished his military career serving as the Commanding General of US Army forces in Europe, and is the recipient of multiple military awards and decorations. General Hertling holds a BS from the U.S. Military Academy, a masters of kinesiology, a masters in military arts and sciences, a masters in international relations and security studies, and a Doctorate in Business Administration. He is now an advisor to the Advent Health Leadership Institute. He designed and teaches a physician leadership development program, and his book Growing Physician Leaders was published in 2016.

Dr. John Umhau received his medical degree from Wake Forest University, completed a residency in Clinical Preventive Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, and is also a certified physician executive. Dr. Umhau served twenty years as a Senior Clinical Investigator on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health, and has authored numerous scientific papers on alcoholism, violence, and nutritional neuroscience, research efforts which were concurrent with an active medical practice.

Dr. Tom Edwards, the founder of Hope Health Center in Fairfield, AL. He is a graduate of the University of Miami medical school, and completed his internal medicine residency in Birmingham, Alabama. Thereafter, Tom and his wife Connie served in a medical church planting ministry for ten years in Ivory Coast, West Africa. In 2000, they returned to Birmingham, where they felt called to minister in the inner city, and in 2003 Tom started Hope Health Center. The vision of Hope Health Center is for the poor, sick, and needy to experience the love and healing of Jesus Christ through whole person care. Tom continues to be involved with medical missions by leading short-term trips to churches in Haiti. Connie, a former math teacher, now serves alongside Tom at Hope Health Center.

Burnout for healthcare professionals can start as early as medical school, and values cultivated during training can ultimately undermine well-being. Dr. Stan Haegert experienced severe burnout as a medical missionary and learned some valuable lessons that he will share with us on this episode.

Dr. Bob Watson is a psychologist who helps cross-cultural missionaries recover from burnout and deal with conflict. He holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Wheaton College and a doctorate from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. He is licensed as a clinical psychologist in the state of Michigan. He has worked as a mental health professional in a faith based organization, a professor training Christian psychologists and counselors, and an organizational consultant developing leaders and teams. Bob’s vocational journey prepared him for his current role of clinical director at Alongside, an organization that offers intensive counseling programs for individuals and families that work in ministry cross-culturally and domestically. He considers himself privileged to play a part in healing the noble wounds of those in ministry.

Dr. Malcolm Herring is a retired vascular surgeon and a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine. He is a co-founder of the Coalition for Physician Well-being and received the Friend of Medicus Integra award. He consults with hospitals and clinics, and has helped hundreds of physicians find fulfillment and joy in their practices. His book The Physician Champion is full of proven methods to engage your medical staff. Dr. Herring travels widely in response to invitations to speak on physician and spirituality issues.

Dr. Omayra Mansfield co-authored The Trust Transformation, a workshop that helps participants transform and improve the relationships in their lives by building a foundation of trust. Her primary areas of interest are improving the physician and patient experience as it relates to improving provider wellbeing, patient adherence to care, and clinical outcomes, and she has lectured extensively on these topics.

Dr. Andy Sanders is an internal medicine physician in Augusta, GA. He has been an innovator and leader in Christian ministry for most of his career, both at home and abroad. He has led more than 40 medical teams to some of the most underserved regions of the world. Over the last seven years, he has worked collaboratively with the Minister of Health in Macedonia to improve the healthcare system in that country.