The Pursuit of Health Podcast

Ep23 - Healthcare Disease, Dr. Simon Maltais

April 01, 2022 Dr. Eric Fethke
The Pursuit of Health Podcast
Ep23 - Healthcare Disease, Dr. Simon Maltais
Show Notes

The Pursuit of Health Podcast takes a bold look at the mounting stresses that have negatively impacted the careers and lives of too many medical professionals. We have invited a remarkable guest, Dr. Simon Maltais, to help us understand the root causes, profound impact and solutions to this growing problem.

Dr. Maltais is a high-powered cardiothoracic surgeon whose successful career has hit all the right marks along the way. A French Canadian who has trained and worked in some of the most reputable medical institutions in Canada and the United States, he has pioneered innovations in mechanical assist devices for the heart and made tremendous contributions to advance the field of heart failure and heart transplantation. He is recognized internationally for his over 160 peer reviewed articles, medical book chapters, editorials and contributions to several esteemed medical journals. As an academic teacher, researcher and lead physician through such prestigious institutions as Vanderbilt University, The Montreal Heart Institute and the Mayo Clinic, he has undoubtedly climbed the ladder to success.

Despite his numerous achievements, Dr. Maltais boldly and openly shares with us that he came to a point in his professional and personal life where things just started to fall apart. Though no one particular problem stood out, he describes a time when he recognized that he was experiencing what he refers to as “multifaceted failures”. In a bravely honest discussion, he takes us through this turning point in his life when he concluded that he was in a crisis and that things desperately needed to change.

Dr. Maltais goes on to describe how he took this very personal experience and began to analyze it closely so that he could make sense of his situation. As with all great and compassionate clinician pioneers, he began to look outward to see if other colleagues were experiencing the same issues. He explains how he implemented his strong research and diagnostic skills to tackle this problem and then proceed to reach out to others. This new work resulted in his groundbreaking recognition of a condition that he defines as “Healthcare Disease”. This ongoing journey has recently taken the form of a wonderful new book by Dr. Maltais and colleagues -  Healthcare Anonymous: Put Yourself First to Avoid Anxiety, Addiction & Burnout - to be publicly released in early April 2022.

In this powerfully refreshing and healing discussion, Dr. Maltais reflects on how his venture into Healthcare Disease has revitalized his physician career. He now works with a supportive and innovative medical team at the Hospital Corporation of America Healthcare based in California. Here he and his colleagues are making positive contributions to the way that healthcare is delivered in one of our nation’s largest providers of medical services. Dr. Maltais suggests that “Outside-the-box thinking is the best way for us to address problems such as healthcare disease and improve our healthcare system.” He is also the Co-founder and CEO of Breakthrough Points: a program dedicated to improving the balance, performance, and effectiveness of physicians and other professionals working in high-intensity environments.

As always, Dr. Eric Fethke and the team at The Pursuit Health Podcast look forward to the comments and contributions of our audience. We can be reached on Facebook and Instagram at drfethkemd  and on our website at drfethkemd.com.

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