Patients at Risk The 'P-word': Taking the No Provider Pledge
Dec 26, 2025
Dr. Robert McLean, a former president of the American College of Physicians and an internist/rheumatologist, passionately discusses the need to eliminate the term 'provider' in healthcare. He uncovers its negative effects on the perception of physicians and patient care. McLean details the disparities in training among healthcare roles and critiques the rise of questionable online APRN programs. He advocates for the 'No Provider Pledge' to restore the sanctity of the physician-patient relationship, emphasizing the importance of empathy and camaraderie among doctors.
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Pledge To Stop Using 'Provider'
- Take the "No Provider Pledge" and ask colleagues to avoid using the term provider when referring to physicians.
- Use playful penalties (e.g., a dollar in the kitty) to reinforce the habit change and keep it memorable.
Pledge Became A Running Gag At Meetings
- At ACP meetings Robert McLean made the pledge routine and used light penalties to catch slips.
- Colleagues responded positively and often thanked him for raising the issue.
'Provider' Flattens Clinical Distinctions
- The term provider emerged as a way to group all care deliverers together for insurers and managed care in the 1990s.
- That umbrella term flattens differences in training and enables payers to justify lower reimbursements to clinicians.