Dr. Sandel Initiative

Kristen Sandel, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
174^th President

As a practicing emergency physician and Medical Director of my Emergency Department, I feel the stress and burnout our profession can cause dedicated and caring physicians. I’ve heard more than once, “This isn’t what I signed up for when I went to medical school.” Stressors from the pandemic, staffing issues, system and employer expectations, and work/life balance challenges take a toll on all of us. When I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2002, I had no idea the effort it would take to retain joy and pride within my profession.

Now in my 18^th year of practice, I am honored to be your 174^th president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED). As I take office in January, as you may imagine, I plan to focus on helping my colleagues within PAMED restore the joy of practicing medicine.

Along with our team at PAMED, I’ll be sharing ideas, educational opportunities and resources all designed to restore pride in the profession you love.

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Jumpstart Your Joy

Advocacy for the Profession

Check out PAMED's advocacy priorities and get involved.
On the Hill
Mental Wellness
According to a recent study, the percent of doctors with at least one manifestation of burnout increased by 43 percent from the pre-Covid-19 era. PAMED knows physicians are struggling. Here are some resources you can access.
- The goal of the PA PHP is to bring wellness into focus. Watch this video to learn more.
- Need someone to talk to? Get help here.
- Want someone to come to your medical staff meeting or other gathering of physicians to present on burnout? Let us know!
- Life management – Check out PAMED’s partners that can make things like loan repayment and contract review easy.
Leadership & Education
PAMED believes that one way to find joy in your profession is to make a difference where you can and to be informed and able to lead. We provide opportunities to learn about good leadership in a variety of ways.
- PAMED’s Year Round Academy offers physicians a robust dive into leadership to prepare for a variety of leadership roles.
- A second step into leadership for more seasoned professionals can be found in our Executive Management Certificate Program.
- Check out our Leadership Resource Center.
- PAMED rewards innovation through providing funding that encourages and recognizes creative approaches to medicine through our Innovation Grants.
- Check out PAMED’s Chronic Care Initiative and learn about improving patient outcomes and resources for social drivers of health.
- For physicians working in Frontline practices (practices supporting PAMED with 100% membership) PAMED offers value-added programming to help you build teamwork and business acumen. You can access these program here.

Dr. Kristen Sandel will begin her tenure as PAMED’s 174^th president on January 1, 2024.

Connect with Me

Support Dr. Sandel on her journey to restore the joy of practicing medicine.

Your Care is At Our Core

Wave Block.800x418 The doctor-patient relationship is essential to getting quality care. America’s physicians and Americans agree that the time patients spend with their physicians is a vital part of getting quality care.

Both physicians and patients agree that the doctor-patient relationship is essential to make the best health care decisions.

Health care can be an especially vulnerable space for patients, and physicians know compassion and establishing a meaningful relationship is necessary to build trust and provide the most effective care and treatment.

Physicians understand that quality time spent listening to, responding to, and treating patients is essential to quality medical care.

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