Three-time cancer survivor Kim Downey turned heartbreak into advocacy. When her physician took his own life, she founded Stand Up for Doctors - a global movement amplifying the stories, struggles, and humanity of healthcare workers.
In this deeply moving conversation, Kim shares how personal tragedy became a call to action, why caring for doctors is caring for patients, and how her work - including the influential book White Coats, Courageous Hearts is helping clinicians and patients alike see medicine through a more compassionate lens.
This episode reminds us that behind every white coat is a courageous heart — and that giving back can begin with simply listening.
This episode is part of a special November series on the Power of Giving.
Episode Takeaways
- How surviving cancer three times led Kim to create Stand Up for Doctors
- The heartbreaking moment that sparked her mission to advocate for physician mental health
- Why physician well-being is patient well-being — and how advocacy can save lives
- The unseen grief when a patient loses their doctor and the ripple effect of clinician suicide
- How storytelling humanizes healthcare and helps doctors reclaim their identity
- The making of White Coats, Courageous Hearts — a collection giving voice to the healers
- Kim’s reflections on moral injury, perfectionism, and redefining success after loss
- Why giving — time, compassion, or advocacy — can transform both patients and clinicians
About Our Guest — Kim Downey
Kim Downey is the founder of Stand Up for Doctors, a movement dedicated to supporting physician and clinician well-being through advocacy, storytelling, and reform. A three-time cancer survivor, physical therapist, and physician-advocate, Kim has become a trusted voice in healthcare advocacy. She is the creator and lead editor of White Coats, Courageous Hearts: True Stories of Doctors, a book humanizing medicine through the voices of those who live it.
Kim also serves as an Ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, helping carry forward its mission to protect the mental health of healthcare workers. Her work continues to build bridges between patients and physicians — reminding us that healing the healers heals us all.
Connect with Kim Downey
🌐 Website: https://www.standupfordoctors.org/
▶️ YouTube: Stand Up for Doctors: https://www.youtube.com/@StandUpforDoctors
📰 Substack: https://standupfordoctors.substack.com/
📖 Book: White Coats, Courageous Hearts – available wherever books are sold: https://a.co/d/bpCu6cf
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-downey-a9307b72/
About the Host
Dr. Amna Shabbir, MD, NBC-HWC, CPC is a Dual Board-Certified Physician and TEDx Speaker with advanced training in Integrative Well-being, Performance, and Leadership Development. She speaks, coaches, and consults on Perfectionism, Sustainable Success, and the Well-being of High Achievers.
Connect with Dr. Shabbir
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.amnashabbir/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amna-shabbir-md/
🌍 Book Her to Speak: https://www.dramnashabbir.com/speaking
🌐 No-Cost Application to Join The Unmasking Perfectionism Community: https://unmaskingperfectionism.com/
📹 Watch Dr. Shabbir’s TEDx Talk:
Perfectionism Has a Solution – It’s Not What You Think
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNIzzM4Vg3s
SPECIAL END OF YEAR OFFER: https://www.dramnashabbir.com/mattering
M
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