12.29.2025
Heart of Safety Coalition
Illness does not equal impairment: Why care team
members deserve a supportive path back to practice – Chris Bundy, MD, MPH
12.29.2025
Episode 106 | Duration: 39:33
Having a mental health condition, including depression or substance use disorder, does not automatically mean that a physician, nurse or other healthcare professional is unable to provide patient care in a competent, ethical and professional manner. Chris Bundy, MD, MPH, FAPA, FASAM, and other leaders of state-based professional health programs (PHPs) support physicians and other healthcare professionals as they navigate mental health conditions and help find supportive paths back to practice once their illness is managed.
In this episode of Caring Greatly, Dr. Bundy talks about how PHPs work, his involvement with the Washington PHP and the Federation of State PHP. He shares some common misperceptions about mental health and substance use, and why the stress and trauma-exposure inherent with working in healthcare environments may create unique vulnerabilities for care team members. Dr. Bundy explains some of the challenges and limitations of PHPs, and discusses how many programs have expanded their purview to support a broader group of healthcare professionals beyond physicians. Today, many PHPs offer support to pharmacists, dentists, physicians’ assistants and nurses.
Dr. Bundy is Executive Medical Director of the Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) and Chief Medical Officer of the Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP). Board-certified in adult and geriatric psychiatry as well as addiction medicine, he holds faculty appointments as a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Clinical Associate Professor at the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
Drawing on his extensive experience as a healthcare leader, medical educator and physician in recovery, Dr. Bundy is dedicated to advancing education, advocacy and support for physician health and care team wellbeing. His contributions have been recognized with the President’s Unsung Hero Award from the Washington State Medical Association and the Presidential Recognition Award from FSPHP.
Dr. Chris Bundy is a leader who cares greatly.
Related links:
- Heart of Safety Coalition report: Clinician perceptions of barriers to access mental health care
- WPHP website
- WPHP 2024 Annual Report
- WPHP Fact sheet
- WPHP impact video
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Stryker. The provided resources may contain links to external websites or third-party content. We do not endorse, control or assume any responsibility for the accuracy, relevance, legality or quality of the information found on these external sites.
Stryker Corporation or its divisions or other corporate affiliated entities own, use or have applied for the following trademarks or service marks: Caring Greatly, Stryker. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners or holders.