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Expanding Access to Mental Health Care: Dr. Daniel Saddawi‑Konefka on Reducing Barriers and Changing Culture
In this episode, Dr. Stuart Slavin welcomes Dr. Daniel Saddawi‑Konefka, associate professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of the Emotional PPE Project, for a thoughtful conversation on improving access to mental health care for health care professionals. Dr. Saddawi‑Konefka shares the origins of the Emotional PPE Project, created during the COVID‑19 pandemic to connect clinicians with free, confidential, and accessible mental health support, and outlines its dual focus on immediate care and long‑term cultural change. The discussion explores the complex, multi‑layered barriers that prevent physicians and physician learners from seeking care, including stigma, fears around confidentiality and professional consequences, and persistent logistical challenges such as time, cost, and access. Dr. Saddawi‑Konefka highlights how deeply ingrained cultural norms in medicine can discourage help‑seeking, but emphasizes the importance of system‑level reform, leadership, and education in shifting those patterns. The conversation further examines the role of leadership and local culture in promoting psychological safety, normalizing vulnerability, and encouraging timely support for mental health needs. Dr. Saddawi‑Konefka also introduces the concepts of hedonic and eudaimonic well‑being, illustrating how both comfort and meaning are essential to sustaining fulfillment in medicine. Throughout the episode, listeners will gain practical insights into how reducing barriers, improving access to care, and fostering supportive environments can help health care professionals thrive while delivering high‑quality patient care. Podcast Chapters (00:00) – Intro and Guest Introduction (00:48) – Origins of the Emotional PPE Project (01:57) – Mission: Removing Barriers to Care (03:53) – Scale & Access to Mental Health Support (05:03) – Key Barriers: Culture, Stigma, and Logistics (07:27) – Generational Shifts & Ongoing Stigma (08:22) – Culture Change in Medicine (10:26) – Systems, Leadership & Multi-Level Solutions (12:55) – Education & Understanding Mental Health (17:38) – Leadership & Role Modeling Vulnerability (20:02) – Meaning vs. Comfort in Well-Being (23:26) – Final Reflections & Takeaways (23:59) – Closing & Resources  
ACGME Well-Being Podcast
http://acgme.libsyn.com/website
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