# Proposal: [Department] Anesthesia Wellness Committee

**Submitted to:** [Department Chief / Chair / C-suite recipient]
**Submitted by:** [Proposed Committee Chair]
**Date:** [Date]

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## The problem

[Open with a specific, local data point where possible. Examples: burnout prevalence from a recent survey; voluntary turnover rate over the past 12 months; number of anesthesia providers who left the department in the prior fiscal year; any sentinel event where provider distress was a contributing factor.]

National context: voluntary departure of a single CRNA in an academic medical center runs $60,000–$100,000 in recruiting, onboarding, and productivity loss. Physician turnover costs are typically 2–3x annual salary. Both figures understate the full cost because they exclude institutional knowledge loss, team continuity, and patient-experience impact.

## The proposal

Establish a standing Anesthesia Wellness Committee reporting to the department chief, with the following structure:

| Element | Specification |
|---------|---------------|
| Chair | [Name], 0.05–0.10 FTE protected |
| Voting membership | 4–6 members across CRNA, CAA, and anesthesiologist roles, plus a trainee representative |
| Meeting cadence | Monthly, with quarterly strategy session and annual board report |
| Annual budget | $[amount] |
| Scope | Programming, advisory input on scheduling and policy, confidential intake channel |
| Reporting | Quarterly operational report, annual board-level report |

Full charter available on request.

## First 90 days

The Committee will launch two programs in its first quarter, selected against evidence of effectiveness and local baseline data:

1. **[Program 1]** — rationale and expected outcome
2. **[Program 2]** — rationale and expected outcome

A baseline survey using a validated instrument (Mini-Z 2.0 or Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index) will run in the first month. Results will be reported at Week 12 alongside early engagement metrics.

## The ask

| Item | Detail |
|------|--------|
| Chair FTE allocation | [0.05–0.10 FTE, protected] |
| Annual budget | $[amount] |
| Executive sponsor | [Named individual at department-chief level or above] |
| Access | Scheduling data (aggregated), HR turnover data (aggregated), peer-review privilege recognition |
| Decision rights | Advisory on scheduling and policy; direct authority on programming budget |

## The math

A wellness program at $[amount] per year that prevents one voluntary CRNA departure every two years is already net positive on direct costs alone. Typical returns beyond cost avoidance include:

- Reduced rate of reportable events where provider distress is a contributing factor
- Improved retention of institutional knowledge at the senior-clinician level
- Higher response rate on institutional engagement surveys (AHRQ, NDNQI, internal)
- Measurable improvement on validated wellbeing instruments (Mini-Z 2.0, Stanford PFI)

## Risks of not acting

- Continued voluntary turnover at current or worsening rate
- Emerging regulatory expectation around clinician wellbeing (ACGME CPR Section VI.F; Joint Commission focus on workforce wellbeing) creates compliance exposure
- Competitive disadvantage in recruiting, particularly against academic medical centers with established wellness programs
- Unmeasured second-victim burden following adverse events, with direct patient-safety implications

## Timeline

| Milestone | Date |
|-----------|------|
| Approval of charter and budget | [Date] |
| Chair appointment confirmed | [Date] |
| Committee seated | [Date] |
| Baseline survey fielded | [Date] |
| First two programs launched | [Date] |
| First quarterly report | [Date] |
| First annual report | [Date] |

## Signatures

**Proposed Chair**

Name: ________________________________

Signature: ________________________________ Date: __________

**Department Chief (approval)**

Name: ________________________________

Signature: ________________________________ Date: __________

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*Notes for the drafter. Keep this brief to a single printed page where possible; two pages is acceptable only if the local-data section requires it. Avoid words that undermine the brief: "journey," "transformation," "initiative" in the informal sense, "synergy." Lead with cost, then evidence, then the specific ask. Close with risks of inaction.*