Kudos! Doctors are showing each other appreciation, and it’s having a ripple effect

A B.C. program to boost physician well-being and create strong bonds in the workplace has been deemed a success. At its core? Appreciation. In 2021, the Medical Staff Society (MSS) at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook, B.C., conducted a brief survey during their virtual AGM, which resulted in physicians mentioning how positive acknowledgement made their days and working lives more meaningful. From this feedback, the MSS came up with the idea of the Kudos Project, to make it easy for physicians to recognize each other. The team first entertained the idea of an app but decided due to physician time constraints and digital fatigue, an old-school pen-and-paper approach would be better. Emergency reprinting Kudos are notes of gratitude printed on colourful pads of paper resembling prescription pads. They include checkboxes, listing reasons for appreciation, for such things as: “going the extra mile,” “sharing your zen,” “your conspicuous kindness,” “being an exceptional physician,” and “hanging in there.” There’s space for a personal comment, too. The notes are also a coupon: recipients can redeem it at the hospital café for a free treat. These notes are placed in receiving colleagues’ mailboxes, and each month, every physician who sends a note is entered into a draw for dinner at a local restaurant. When the project launched, in the first month alone, physicians wrote and received 200 Kudos, said Dr. Lori Wik, a general internist at the hospital and VP of the MSS, in an article on the Doctors of BC website. “There was an outpouring of appreciation. We had to do an emergency printing of more pads,” she said, adding that she has sent notes about everything from helpful chats with a colleague at the nurses’ station to recognizing a doctor who persisted and solved a complex case. Jill Bain, MSS project manager, said in the same article that the number of Kudos that physicians send is consistently at approximately 25 to 30 per month and that the Kudos are creating a “ripple effect” of positivity throughout the hospital. While the project is limited to doctors for now, many physicians are sharing their Kudos treat vouchers with other staff. Bain said that the project is easily replicable across other sites and health authorities, and is a cost-effective way to boost morale and spread a positive attitude during sometimes challenging situations.

Kudos! Doctors are showing each other appreciation, and it’s having a ripple effect

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