Ep 11. Dr. Stefanie Simmons on Breaking Stigma in Healthcare: Mental Health, Perfectionism & Credentialing

What if we’re telling healthcare workers to be perfect, then punishing them when they break under the pressure?

In this powerful episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir sits down with Dr. Stefanie Simmons, Chief Medical Officer of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation, to unpack the cultural, psychological, and policy-level forces that make it nearly impossible for healthcare workers to ask for help.

A nationally recognized leader in clinician well-being, Dr. Simmons brings her lived experience as a physician and parent—and her professional expertise in systems-level change—to a conversation about perfectionism, identity, and the human cost of a broken system.

Together, they explore:

• The “grade to slack” ratio and early signs of boundary-setting
• How physicians conflate influence and control—and why that’s dangerous
• What Dr. Simmons learned from the Serenity Prayer during an addiction elective
• The reality of perfectionism and medical errors
• Why asking for help is a sign of strength, not failure
• How systems (not just individuals) reinforce harmful narratives

📌 Referenced in this episode:

• 🔗Dr. Carrie Cunningham’s story  
• 🔗Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation Website

👤 About the Guest:

Dr. Stefanie Simmons is the Chief Medical Officer of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation and a board-certified emergency medicine physician. She previously served as VP of Patient & Clinician Experience at Envision Physician Services, supporting over 26,000 clinicians nationwide.

She is a vocal advocate for removing stigmatizing mental health language from credentialing processes, creating psychologically safe systems, and ensuring healthcare professionals receive the support they need without fear of retaliation. Dr. Simmons has also been open about her own experiences with postpartum depression and the myth of "doing it all," offering a compelling lens on leading with humanity.

💙 About the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation:

The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the well-being of healthcare professionals and protecting their mental health. Named after Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency physician who died by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation works to eliminate the stigma that keeps healthcare workers from seeking help.

Impact Highlights:
✅ Successfully passed the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act into law
✅ Supports hospitals and health systems in transforming workplace culture
✅ Champions safe, stigma-free access to mental health care for all healthcare professionals

📣 Support their work: https://drlornabreen.org/donate

🎙 About the Host:

Dr. Amna Shabbir is a Dual Board-certified Geriatrics and Internal Medicine Physician, Master Certified Coach, Professional Speaker, Mental Health Advocate, and Super Mom. She is the Founder of Amna Shabbir Wellness Coaching and the Early Career Physicians Institute®, where she empowers high achievers to redefine success and create sustainable well-being.

She is also a proud Ambassador of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation and actively contributes to national advocacy efforts to protect the mental health of healthcare workers.

This episode is part of her special book-writing project on unmasking perfectionism.

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