Presenter

Dr. Privitera is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and was Medical Director of the Medical Faculty and Clinician Wellness Program (2015–2022), working on individual and organizational interventions to reduce clinician burnout. He was a member of the Federation of State Medical Boards Task Force on physician burnout, which led to their 2018 national policy recommendations limiting state board physician mental health questions to current impairment to encourage physicians to seek help and reduce stigma. He chaired the Medical Society of the State of New York Task Force on Physician Stress and Burnout (2015–2019), then stepped down to focus on the impact of clinician burnout on patient safety.

A pioneer in applying Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) to healthcare leadership, he has worked for over 15 years to integrate human-system design principles into organizational strategies that support both clinician wellbeing and patient safety. He co-founded the international Collaborative for Human Factors, Cognitive Load, and Wellbeing in Healthcare, now with over 100 members, and has presented on HFE-based leadership at the International Symposium of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Healthcare, IHI Patient Safety Congress, and AHA Leadership Summit. He has published widely, including in The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Physician Leadership Journal. He continues national work with the American Bar Association, American Medical Association, and the Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation.