Dr. Amy D. Zhang is an associate clinical professor of the glaucoma service at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. She was previously at Case Western University where she was the glaucoma fellowship director. Her clinical interests are her work in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery and home tonometry. She is the well-being director for the Department of Ophthalmology and most recently a faculty associate of the Office of Well-Being at Michigan Medicine. She has an interest in improving ophthalmic ergonomics and looking into addressing drivers of burnout across the health system. She has collaborated with the School of Kinesiology and has current collaborations with Industrial Engineering examining the role of human factors engineering in healthcare.

In this episode, Dr. Zhang:

- Emphasizes that ophthalmologists have very high rates of work-related MSK symptoms

- Describes best practices for ophthalmology trainees and practitioners to set themselves up for ergonomic success in the OR (especially with the microscope) and in the clinic (at the slit lamp)

- Shares tips and tricks for working ergonomically in clinic workrooms with computer workstations

- Discusses the ergonomic challenges faced by proceduralists with the onset of presbyopia and provides us with key points to discuss with our eyecare providers when getting fitted with eyewear

Use this article and included toolkit published by Dr. Zhang to describe your work to your eyecare provider

Dr. Zhang can be reached here

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Marc S. Rubin,MD is a colon and rectal surgeon who has been practicing on Boston’s North Shore for 30 years. He is Chair of the department of surgery at Mass General Brigham – Salem hospital, previously served as Division Chief of Community Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and is an Assistant Professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. Nationally, he is a past Governor of the American College of Surgeons and has served as an Associate Editor of the journal Diseases of the Colon and Rectum.
In this episode, Dr. Rubin:

- Tells us about his own journey with musculoskeletal symptoms pertaining to his neck, which ultimately led to a career-altering injury

- Emphasizes that surgical leaders need to take an active role in not only shining a light on the problem of work-related repetitive strain injuries among surgeons but also work to help remedy the current situation

- Shares how he advocated for ergonomics coaching and equipment with administration at his institution by making both a wellness and financial case

- Stresses the importance of including all the stakeholders when advocating for ergonomic changes in procedural areas (which might have helped reduce some of the pushback and barriers to implementation) i

- Points out that education may not be effective on its own and it is therefore important to hardwire changes in the environment so that good ergonomics is the default situation

- Shares his own experience with my video-based ergonomics coaching (using AI based proprietary software developed by my partner Linda Miller) and how it helped improve his ergonomics both inside and outside the OR

- Suggests that we need to work with our hospitals and specialty societies to develop ergonomics guidelines that can implemented without being burdensome

- Recommends that we work to make safe spaces for early reporting of symptoms so that employees can get the help they need before injuries become chronic or permanent

You can reach Dr. Rubin here.

You can learn more about Sugical Ergonomics coaching I offer here.

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Stephanie Pearson, MD, FACOG, is a board-certified OB/GYN, educator, and advocate for physician well-being. After a career-ending injury, she co-founded PearsonRavitz, a national insurance brokerage dedicated to protecting physicians. Drawing from her own experience, Stephanie educates and empowers physicians on the importance of disability and life insurance. A sought-after speaker, she addresses physician advocacy, healthcare disparities, and self-care, inspiring resilience and financial security.

In this episode, Dr. Pearson:

- Shares that musculoskeletal disease resulting from poor ergonomics are the #1 reason surgeons leave practice, however these injuries aren't necessarily considered work-related

- Alerts us that chronic repetitive strain injuries of the spine (neck and back), shoulder and wrist constitute the bulk of disorders leading to disability for surgeons, proceduralists and other personnel working in the OR such as techs and nurses

- Explains that disability determinations have to be made by a treating physician who has to state that an individual cannot do their job safely before a claim is submitted to an insurance carrier. Carriers can challenge the disability claim and arrange independent medical exams and imaging review

- Shares the the key differences between employer-based and private disability policies with respect to pre- vs. post-tax benefits, ownership (portability) and language surrounding the definition of own-occupation riders and total disability

- Reminds us to carefully check our group disability policies as some may not even cover work-related injuries and others may place limits of 2 years of payment for these injuries

- Urges that clients understand the difference between an insurance broker vs. an insurance agent and that a personal policy should be bought as soon as possible during training (to get maximal coverage for lower cost)

- Provides her top 5 tips to consider when shopping for disability insurance.

You can reach Dr. Pearson via the following means:

Website: www.stephaniepearson.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniepearsonmd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstephaniepearson/

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Dr. Andrew Gabrielson is currently a chief resident at the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has a longstanding interest in surgical ergonomics and the study of work-related injury among physicians and surgeons. He previously served on the board of directors and co-chair of the IT/communications committee of the Society of Surgical Ergonomics. Dr. Gabrielson is headed to Chicago next year for his fellowship in pediatric urology at Northwestern/Lurie Children’s Hospital

In this episode Dr. Gabrielson

- Shares his personal journey, including how he became interested in surgical ergonomics

- Sheds light on the culture of surgery, where individuals delay seeking care for injuries

- Highlights that 70-90% of surgical trainees report having musculoskeletal symptoms within the past year, and that 30-40% of injuries are moderate to severe

- Emphasizes that trainees from all levels are affected, and that both physical and cognitive ergonomics matter in procedural spaces

- Provides resources for trainees to learn about ergonomics i.e. the American College of Surgeons' Ergonomics Taskforce recommendations, the SSE website and various articles

- Introduces the concept of an Ergonomics Timeout and how trainees can take the initiative to set up things in the OR

- Shares tips for urologists to optimize ergonomics for cystoscopy

You can connect with Dr. Gabrielson on X/Twitter: @UroGabe or Blue Sky: urogabe.bsky.social

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Dr. Pamela Hess is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions in the Department of Occupational Therapy, with a joint appointment in the Department of Surgery. Her clinical background includes inpatient acute care pelvic health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, specializing in women's health and surgical ergonomics and wellbeing. In her current role, she is developing programmatic initiatives to support the surgeon’s wellbeing in the out of the OR. Lastly, she is also a certified pilates instructor.

In this episode, Dr. Hess:

a) Shares her personal journey, training and how she became interested in surgical ergonomics

b) Explains the details and components of the Comprehensive Operating Room Ergonomics (CORE) program she helped launch at the University of Indiana, where she worked prior to moving to Florida. The program was focused on preventing surgeon work-related musculoskeletal disorders and led to a publication in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

c) Emphasizes the importance of assessing work both inside and outside the operating room and highlights best practices including paying attention to one’s setup, posture and taking short breaks.

d) Stresses the importance of a strong core and provides information about Surgilates, a strength and stretching program she has developed (based on her Pilates training) specifically for surgeons and other personnel working in the OR.

e) Discusses some of the specific issues relating to ergonomics for women proceduralists, and provides tips for working in procedural areas while pregnant.

f) Reminds us that pelvic floor dysfunction can affect all proceduralists, regardless of sex, and consulting a physical therapist or occupational therapist is essential in this scenario.

You can follow Dr. Hess on LinkedIn and email her at pamgotr@gmail.com if you’re interested in surgical ergonomics coaching,

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Dr. M. Susan Hallbeck, PE, CPE is the Scientific Director of Human Factors Engineering and Professor of Health Care Systems Engineering in the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Healthcare Delivery and a Consultant in Health Care Delivery Research, as well as a Consultant in Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Hallbeck is the Past-President of both the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) and the Society for Surgical Ergonomics. Dr. Hallbeck is a licensed professional engineer and a certified professional ergonomist.

In this episode, Dr. Hallbeck:

• Shares her personal journey, training and how she became interested in surgical ergonomics
• Defines the term “Ergonomics”, which is derived from the Greek words “ergon” meaning work and “nomos” meaning natural law.
• Shares that 60-80% of surgeons and procedural staff report suffering from work-related musculoskeletal (WRMSK) symptoms and that 50% of them fear that the symptoms will affect that career longevity
• Emphasizes that WRMSK symtoms have consequences for the individual health care worker (including being associated with burnout) and society as a whole.
• Provides some tips for healthcare workers wishing to improve their ergonomics both in and out of the operating room
• Discusses the importance of taking breaks and performing posture resets as an important ergonomic intervention which improved both physical and mental wellbeing, without increasing OR time. You can use the free OR stretch app to get started with taking breaks during procedures.
• Shares the initial results from the hand-size study being performed via the Society of Surgical Ergonomics. The purpose of the study is to better inform future instrument design by learning how surgeon hand and glove size correlate with grip strength and other variables. Please take a few minutes to contribute to this study here.
• You can follow Dr. Hallbeck on LinkedIn and access other important resources pertaining to her work here.

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