EP 129: The Heart of Healthcare: Rebuilding Physician Resilience

Parallax by Ankur Kalra

This week's edition of Parallax features an illuminating conversation between host, Dr Ankur Kalra, and Dr Clif Knight. From practicing family physician to passionate advocate for systemic change, Dr Knight's remarkable career journey provides a unique lens through which to examine physician well-being in contemporary healthcare environments. Dr Knight shares how his early observations of colleagues struggling without adequate support systems sparked his dedication to addressing the fundamental inefficiencies and structural barriers undermining physician resilience. The discussion examines how the healthcare landscape has evolved over generations, challenging simplistic narratives about millennial physicians' susceptibility to burnout by contextualizing how documentation burdens, technological implementations, and regulatory frameworks have created unprecedented complexity. Listeners will appreciate Dr Knight's nuanced analysis of the physician ecosystem's five distinct levels and how interventions at each stage—from organizational leadership priorities to individual behavioural practices—can meaningfully enhance well-being. The episode offers actionable insights for healthcare professionals seeking to recalibrate their relationship with medical practice, while also raising important questions about how commercial influences in healthcare delivery may affect both physician autonomy and patient care. For anyone interested in sustainable healthcare systems that support both practitioners and patients, this discussion provides essential perspective on rebuilding resilience at personal and institutional levels. Resources: Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience, National Academy of Medicine (https://nam.edu/our-work/programs/clinician-resilience-and-well-being/) Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being, National Academy of Medicine (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25521/taking-action-against-clinician-burnout-a-systems-approach-to-professional) Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program, AMA ASSN (https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health/joy-medicine-health-system-recognition-program)