Spotlight on Joy: A Conversation with Lanny F. Wilson, MD

Retired Obstetrician and Gynecologist

Board Member at the Coalition for Physician & APP Well-Being

Author of The Healthy Spiritual Journey

Finding Meaning in Medicine

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you to physician/APP well-being.

Since 1979, I have been on the medical staff of Hinsdale Hospital in Hinsdale, Illinois. Founded in 1904, and known as Hinsdale Sanitarium at that time, it is one of the oldest hospitals in the AdventHealth System. In my career as an Obstetrician & Gynecologist, I have delivered more than 6,000 babies, and most of them, I delivered at that wonderful institution. In April of 2002, the trajectory of my life changed after hearing a lecture by Dr. Martin C. Doot, entitled "Physician Stress and Burnout". Shortly after that, I founded a physician peer support group called Physicians' Forum which met monthly and was quite similar to the "Meaning in Medicine" groups popular today.

Called to Action

Has there been a figure or experience in your life that compelled you to become a part of the well-being conversation?

Shortly after starting our monthly meetings, Dr. Ted Hamilton visited Hinsdale, on his tour around the country. He was gathering information from the AdventHealth hospitals across the country to determine what kind of work was being done for physician well-being. Administrators at the AdventHealth corporate level had tasked him to lead a national physician well-being program with the simple philosophy that "we cannot expect physicians to take care of others if they are not taking care of themselves". Dr. Hamilton was charismatic and inspiring. I wanted to be a part of his organization, representing the AdventHealth Great Lakes Region.

Building a Firm Foundation

What is one project or initiative you’ve been a part of that has made a positive impact in your healthcare circles? What were some of the challenges you had to overcome?

Since about 2005, the AdventHealth Great Lakes region has had Physician Well-being Committees. I chaired the first such committee which combined two of the hospitals. Soon however, we elected to create the Great Lakes Region Physician well-being Committee, which is a combination of six local committees. I have chaired this regional committee since its inception about fifteen years ago. We share best practices across the region and meet quarterly. Psychological support services, mission trips, social gatherings, meaning in medicine, retired physicians ("Gray Docs") breakfasts, physician on-boarding, and many other opportunities fit under this umbrella. Establishing physician/administration dyads, finding funding sources for the psychological support services, and pay for physician well-being leaders have been somewhat challenging to overcome; but we have been successful overcoming each of these.

Hope for the Hopeless

What sentiment would you like to leave for those looking to enter the conversation on well-being?

These conversations are some of the most rewarding that we will have. Helping physicians and advanced practice providers see that they are not alone in their desire to have balance in their lives is important. When we can help Physicians and APPs remember what brought them into this proud and wonderful profession, it is enlightening for them. If we can help these same people understand that their work is a calling and not just a job, a light will turn on in their brains. No matter what, I never want a person to feel so alone, or hopeless that they feel like suicide is their only option. That will never be acceptable. Not on my watch!

Thank you to Lanny F. Wilson, MD for participating in the Spotlight on Joy series! Dr. Wilson is an active Board Member of the Coalition for Physician & APP Well-Being as of July 2026. Dr. Wilson is the author of the spiritual devotional series, The Healthy Spiritual Journey, published on our blog each month. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Coalition's Accreditation Committee, focused on the creation of programming opportunities for members and non-members of the Coalition, including webinars, podcasts, collaborative resources, group networking opportunities, conferences and more.