Kim Downey, PT
Kim Downey is a physician advocate and physical therapist.
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Latest articles
Conditions and diseases
Randy McNeely: We are never more vulnerable than in the moments when life delivers news we did not expect, and are not prepared to hear. That moment came for my wife and me in early August 2023. A few weeks…
Randy McNeely: We are never more vulnerable than in the moments when life delivers news we did not expect, and are not prepared to hear. That moment came for my wife and me in early August 2023.
A few weeks earlier, Kimberly was helping our daughter move a small chest freezer when she felt a sharp twinge in her right thigh. It seemed like a pulled muscle, so she treated it …
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Compassionate health care transforms the patient journey
Conditions and diseases
"When empathy is recognition rather than absorption, it nourishes instead of depletes. It becomes sustainable." Eva Minkoff shares this thought in our collaborative book, White Coats, Human Hearts, featuring the stories of 11 physicians, two physician spouses, and two patients.…
“When empathy is recognition rather than absorption, it nourishes instead of depletes. It becomes sustainable.” Eva Minkoff shares this thought in our collaborative book, White Coats, Human Hearts, featuring the stories of 11 physicians, two physician spouses, and two patients. Eva has spent her life entrenched in health care, as a chronic patient, physician spouse, and now leadership coach for health care professionals and leaders. Reading those words was an …
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How regulating clinical empathy prevents physician burnout
Conditions and diseases
Kelly D. Holder, PhD, and I first met at the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation Health Care Worker Well-Being Day in Washington, D.C., where she was a presenter. I was impressed with Kelly's work, focusing on helping health care professionals…
Kelly D. Holder, PhD, and I first met at the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation Health Care Worker Well-Being Day in Washington, D.C., where she was a presenter. I was impressed with Kelly’s work, focusing on helping health care professionals and leaders co-create a culture of well-being, which is so critical in medicine today.
This resonates deeply with Sarah Hollander, MD’s belief that the culture of medicine must change, starting in …
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Joy in medicine: a new culture
Conditions and diseases
Apurv Gupta, Michael Mantell, and I recently had a conversation exploring how compassion, culture, and systems come together to heal not only patients, but those who care for them. We discussed how loving organizations outperform others, how shared responsibility for…
Apurv Gupta, Michael Mantell, and I recently had a conversation exploring how compassion, culture, and systems come together to heal not only patients, but those who care for them. We discussed how loving organizations outperform others, how shared responsibility for well-being transforms outcomes, and why “when two hearts touch, that’s healing!” We learned about real hospitals already leading this movement, and how we can all open our thinking to see …
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What is a loving organization?
Conditions and diseases
Jodie Green and I have been following each other on social media for a couple of years, and we finally had a conversation a few months ago. We discussed our appreciation for the work each of us is doing to…
Jodie Green and I have been following each other on social media for a couple of years, and we finally had a conversation a few months ago. We discussed our appreciation for the work each of us is doing to support doctors and all other health care professionals, including my efforts and Jodie’s with her organization, the Clinician Burnout Foundation. We’re amplifying meaningful resources that are available for …
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Why wellness programs fail health care
Conditions and diseases
Many people have become "burned out" on the word burnout. Many doctors do not resonate with the term, feeling it describes personal struggles, when systemic issues are the root cause of the challenges facing health care professionals. They offer "moral…
Many people have become “burned out” on the word burnout. Many doctors do not resonate with the term, feeling it describes personal struggles, when systemic issues are the root cause of the challenges facing health care professionals. They offer “moral injury” as a more accurate description. Clinicians can experience either or both at any time during their career.
Recently speaking with Shari Morin-Degel, I appreciated her sharing that because she had …
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Why burnout prevention starts with leadership
Conditions and diseases
Imagine a family physician who works 12-hour days packed with complex cases and endless paperwork. They may skip meals, miss their child's recital, and stay late to finish charting. Patient care feels rushed, and the physician begins to feel emotionally…
Imagine a family physician who works 12-hour days packed with complex cases and endless paperwork. They may skip meals, miss their child’s recital, and stay late to finish charting. Patient care feels rushed, and the physician begins to feel emotionally numb and irritable. Driving home exhausted, the doctor wonders if medicine was the right career choice! A physician’s role is considered a calling, and when it starts to feel like …
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How physicians can reclaim resilience through better sleep, nutrition, and exercise
Physician voices
Words matter. In a recent conversation with a physical therapist friend who lives with chronic illness, she shared that the term "wellness" doesn't resonate with her—it feels like an impossible state to attain. She prefers "well-being," explaining that it more…
Words matter.
In a recent conversation with a physical therapist friend who lives with chronic illness, she shared that the term “wellness” doesn’t resonate with her—it feels like an impossible state to attain. She prefers “well-being,” explaining that it more accurately reflects how she feels and functions in daily life.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve spoken and written about physician wellness and well-being, often using the terms interchangeably. But that …
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Focusing on well-being versus wellness: What it means for physicians (and their patients)
Physician voices
There's a quiet rebellion happening in medicine. A movement of physicians no longer willing to sacrifice their humanity for productivity quotas, administrative burdens, or the illusion of perfection. We wrote White Coats, Courageous Hearts with thirteen other physicians to shine…
There’s a quiet rebellion happening in medicine. A movement of physicians no longer willing to sacrifice their humanity for productivity quotas, administrative burdens, or the illusion of perfection. We wrote White Coats, Courageous Hearts with thirteen other physicians to shine a light on this shift—voices reclaiming agency in a system that often forgets that doctors are human, too.
Alae Kawam, DO:
There has been a profound cultural shift—and an emerging rift—in the …
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True stories of doctors reclaiming their humanity in a system that challenges it
Conditions and diseases
Kim Downey: A friend shared with me how she told someone their mutual physician was on medical leave. She heard it was serious. That person's immediate response was concern over how it would affect their upcoming appointment. My friend said…
Kim Downey:
A friend shared with me how she told someone their mutual physician was on medical leave. She heard it was serious. That person’s immediate response was concern over how it would affect their upcoming appointment. My friend said she thought of my advocacy work, initiating a conversation fostering empathy for the struggling physician.
I read a post by a surgeon, with fellow doctors commenting
…
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Health workers deserve care too: How to protect their mental health
Physician voices
In our modern world, we often find ourselves caught in a cycle—balancing the demands of work, family, and personal well-being. For those living with marginalized identities, this exhaustion is compounded by societal expectations, a lack of understanding, and a pervasive…
In our modern world, we often find ourselves caught in a cycle—balancing the demands of work, family, and personal well-being. For those living with marginalized identities, this exhaustion is compounded by societal expectations, a lack of understanding, and a pervasive sense of isolation.
Dr. Nicole Perrotte knew I was a pediatric physical therapist, and she shared with me her experience as the mom of an “atypical” child. Through my work with …
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Love, empathy, and the triangle of exhaustion: Why humanity must come first
Conditions and diseases
How’s your cholesterol? Are you getting enough protein? Do you even know? Whether you're a doctor, a patient, or both, you may be missing out on the powerful benefits of a registered dietitian. Recently, I received lab results that were…
How’s your cholesterol? Are you getting enough protein? Do you even know? Whether you’re a doctor, a patient, or both, you may be missing out on the powerful benefits of a registered dietitian.
Recently, I received lab results that were concerning, and my doctor suggested adding another medication. I’m focused on reducing medications, so I wanted to explore all possible ways to improve my numbers safely without adding to my pill …
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Why patients need a registered dietitian on their health care team
Physician voices
As Doctors' Day on March 30 approaches, we are reminded of the incredible impact physicians have on our lives. But there is something often overlooked—the emotional toll the profession takes. Physicians give so much of themselves, yet their emotional needs…
As Doctors’ Day on March 30 approaches, we are reminded of the incredible impact physicians have on our lives. But there is something often overlooked—the emotional toll the profession takes. Physicians give so much of themselves, yet their emotional needs often go unrecognized. What if there were a simple, powerful way to remind them that their efforts matter?
Imagine the impact a heartfelt, handwritten note could have on a weary physician.
I …
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Spreading hope one card at a time: How small acts of kindness can make a big difference for doctors
Physician voices
Dr. Steven Pearce, Dr. Bruce Berger, and I had an inspiring discussion about motivational interviewing. Bruce offered specific and practical suggestions for clinicians to help patients explore their motivation for treatment adherence. Steven responded, "I'm thrilled. I'm sitting here saying…
Dr. Steven Pearce, Dr. Bruce Berger, and I had an inspiring discussion about motivational interviewing. Bruce offered specific and practical suggestions for clinicians to help patients explore their motivation for treatment adherence. Steven responded, “I’m thrilled. I’m sitting here saying I can’t wait for him to give me more examples because I’m going to go use them in about an hour!”
Dr. Steven Pearce is a practicing gastroenterologist and creator of …
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How motivational interviewing transforms patient care and outcomes
Physician voices
Kim Downey: Pulling into my driveway, I grabbed a handful of envelopes from the mailbox, one of which was from my doctor's office. I could tell it wasn't a bill, and I became anxious. Upon opening it, I was relieved…
Kim Downey:
Pulling into my driveway, I grabbed a handful of envelopes from the mailbox, one of which was from my doctor’s office. I could tell it wasn’t a bill, and I became anxious. Upon opening it, I was relieved to find that it wasn’t about my doctor leaving his practice or that anything had happened to him. Rather, it was a notification that another doctor I’d seen once was leaving. …
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Long-term impacts of physician suicide on patients and doctors
Physician voices
I've heard this question asked in interviews, and I've been asked it myself. Over the past year and a half, I've become involved with several organizations that are working hard and taking positive action in this regard. I'm a proud…
I’ve heard this question asked in interviews, and I’ve been asked it myself.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve become involved with several organizations that are working hard and taking positive action in this regard. I’m a proud ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, I’m on the traction team for Medicine Forward (MF), and I’m a strong collaborator and supporter of the Health Care Reinvention Collaborative (HRC).
As …
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Do you think the needle is moving in health care?
Health policy
Recently, I interviewed Dr. David Morris, a physician in Ireland and CEO of Verity Barrington, along with Geoffrey Roche, director of workforce development for Siemens Healthineers. Our conversation focused on successes in health care in both Ireland and America, and…
Recently, I interviewed Dr. David Morris, a physician in Ireland and CEO of Verity Barrington, along with Geoffrey Roche, director of workforce development for Siemens Healthineers. Our conversation focused on successes in health care in both Ireland and America, and the lessons we can share to improve the system. A critical part of our discussion revolved around the role of health care boards. Geoffrey posed a pivotal question: “Where are …
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The duty of health system boards to prioritize organizational culture, workforce development, and career pathways
Health technology
Kim Downey: Part of my work supporting physicians involves facilitating connections, both among physicians and with others who assist them. In this vein, I introduced Dr. Wael Saasouh to Lisa Scardina. Our discussion touched on AI, with Dr. Saasouh sharing…
Kim Downey:
Part of my work supporting physicians involves facilitating connections, both among physicians and with others who assist them. In this vein, I introduced Dr. Wael Saasouh to Lisa Scardina. Our discussion touched on AI, with Dr. Saasouh sharing positive ways we can use technology and Lisa offering her perspective on AI, which also stands for Appreciative Inquiry. How we connect and have conversations matters! We talked about hope and …
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The role of AI in improving health care: artificial intelligence and appreciative inquiry
Physician voices
Kim Downey: Fostering meaningful connections and building a supportive community has become my mission as I work to stand up for and alongside doctors. I recently connected Dr. Wael Saasouh with Lisa Scardina. During our thought-provoking conversation, Wael said, from…
Kim Downey:
Fostering meaningful connections and building a supportive community has become my mission as I work to stand up for and alongside doctors. I recently connected Dr. Wael Saasouh with Lisa Scardina. During our thought-provoking conversation, Wael said, from his perspective of wearing many hats in business, leadership, clinical, and research, “Once we can collaborate on multiple levels, a solution becomes a lot more attainable!” Lisa and I wholeheartedly agreed. …
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Fighting burnout with deeper human connections
Physician voices
Michael Foti, MD, and Tushar Bhagat, PhD, recently reached out to me, each expressing that we are committed to the same goal: well-being for others, especially physicians. I paired them up for an episode of my YouTube channel, where they…
Michael Foti, MD, and Tushar Bhagat, PhD, recently reached out to me, each expressing that we are committed to the same goal: well-being for others, especially physicians. I paired them up for an episode of my YouTube channel, where they poignantly shared their journeys to becoming advocates for physician wellness. Through their work, they are creating synergistic loops of feeling better! Here are their stories:
Michael Foti, MD:
At a time when …
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How to support physician wellness during the toughest times
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