title: Physician health programs: the Maryland experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article briefly summarizes not only the history of physician health programs, including their singular success, but also their struggle to maintain the ethical integrity of the programs, their appropriate autonomy, and the privacy of physicians enrolled in them.
  
  
  METHODS
  We review the history of the Maryland Physicians Health Program, how it initially developed and was funded, how the program became funded by the state, how this ultimately caused serious problems, and how these were eventually resolved.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maryland was able to achieve a 2-program solution that protected both the voluntary participants while meeting the needs of the state licensing board for participants mandated by the state licensing board. This result has been well received by both the physician community and the state licensing board.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  How the problems were solved and the ultimate agreement provide a model for others to use.
authors.affiliation: From the Physicians Health Program (SP), Center for a Healthy Maryland Board Oversight Committee for the Impaired Physician Programs (TEA), Physicians Rehabilitation Program (SB), Impaired Physician Programs (CK), Center for a Healthy Maryland (SJ), Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Platman
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Chae
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D003219:Confidentiality / Q000523:psychology; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D008007:Licensure, Medical; D008396:Maryland; D010559:Personnel Management / Q000379:methods*; D010815:Physician Impairment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010820:Physicians / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D016730:Program Development; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology