Matters of the Heart: A Program Supporting Medical Marriages for Residents at an Academic Medical Center

This article describes a specialized program facilitated by the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), focused on the needs of married house staff (residents and fellows) within an academic medical center. This program was developed in conjunction with the Vanderbilt House Staff Alliance, facilitated by Work/Life Connections-EAP, the internal Employee Assistance Program, and Medical Staff Special Events at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The program is sponsored by the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and his wife, the driving force behind the project. Given the unique stressors faced by married couples during medical training, the Matters of the Heart series was developed to help house staff and their spouses manage the challenges that affect their relationships during this stressful time.