We have a chance to affect the future of medicine; to advocate for patient interests; to restore the time doctors need to think, to listen, to establish trust, and build bonds, one encounter at a time.
—Eric Topol, MD, Co-founder of Medicine Forward, The New Yorker, 2019
Our vision is activating 10M people for the Patient+Physician Relationship within 10 years
Medicine Forward is a 501c3 nonprofit that unites doctors, patients, and change leaders nationwide to restore the patient-physician relationship as the heart of medicine. We operate as a multi-disciplinary federation, working at individual, community, and system levels. As part of a broad network of advocates, we seek healthcare transformation that cares for caregivers, ensuring patients and communities receive equitable and sustainable care.
The mission of Medicine Forward resonates with me as a recently burnt out doctor who craves restoration of the doctor-patient relationship and the TIME to be curious about my patient’s ailments.
—Medicine Forward Member, March 2024
Key Initiatives
Next Gen Fellows - Medicine Forward Next Gen Fellows are current medical trainees who are working daily to advance and integrate wellbeing interventions into medical training. Initiatives include the evidence-based PEERS (Practice Enhancement Engagement Resilience and Support) program in active use at Mount Sinai, and a national medical student wellbeing report card in collaboration with PsychSIGN and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. Fellows are encouraged to explore aspects of wellbeing that excite them and are given support and guidance by members of Medicine Forward to implement their ideas into actionable plans.
Medicine Forward National Gathering - Medicine Forward is hosting an opportunity for our members and anyone else committed to restoring and nurturing human connection in healthcare to be in dialogue. This transformative event will take place in November in NYC. Watch for more about this on the Medicine Forward Mighty Network.
Coaching and Wellbeing Support - In recognition of the significant increase in physician burnout, moral injury, mental health decay, and suicide, resources to support doctors at the individual and collective levels are needed. The Medicine Forward community includes some of the leading physician coaches and wellbeing experts in the country. Meet our coaches.
Current Collaborators
Our Principles We Live & Breathe
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We stand up for authentic human relationships with sufficient time and presence with every patient, cultivating optimal communication, empathy, and care. We put humanistic patient care first before the business of medicine.
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We build on a foundation of wellbeing and trust for all patients and healthcare workers as our primary aim.
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We bring physicians together from diverse backgrounds and communities to discover and elevate our shared voice. We are highly collaborative through a multi-disciplinary and multi-network model of organizing.
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We claim our power as change agents passionate about a much better future for healthcare for all.