All You Need Is Love

Partners at Home, Partners at Work

Workplace romances can be awkward, several couples admit, if the relationship/work issues are not addressed in a transparent way. Dr. Hastings, a former board member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, sees many dual-professional and dual-physician couples in private practice. “If the couple recognizes and addresses the issues, they can make appropriate decisions,” she maintains.

Drs. Fang and Sharpe met when they were both interviewing for faculty positions at UCSF. “I always show up early to prepare my talks,” she recalls, “and Brad helped me to set up my PowerPoint presentation.”

“We like to joke that I helped Margaret get her job because I made sure the projector was working,” he laughs. “It was a really big intervention on my part.”

The couple also joke about Brad being Margaret’s boss, which he is, technically, as associate division chief for UCSF’s Division of Hospital Medicine. Their job descriptions are very different, however, and “that works well for us,” he notes.

Drs. Meltzer and Arora also met through work. In 2003, she joined the hospitalist team initiated by Dr. Meltzer at the University of Chicago. They enjoyed working together, and over time, it became progressively apparent that they were developing an affinity for each other.

“David and I were lucky that we had an environment of people close to us who supported us through that awkward time,” she recalls.

Dr. Meltzer says the couple was “careful to tell the relevant people who needed to be told. And we ensured that I was not in the position to be Vinny’s boss.”

It’s important for hospitalists who become romantically involved, Dr. Arora says, to set a professional tone when at work. They must have been successful, because some coworkers did not realize they were dating until they announced their engagement. They were married in 2006.

The Gundersens met more than 10 years ago during residency at UMass and married in December 2004. Jasen became division chief and Liz was associate chief in the Division of Hospital Medicine.

To avoid any hints of favoritism, they carved out separate reporting arrangements so that Liz did not report directly to Jasen. “Both of us really had to be above reproach,” she notes, “and we tried to hold ourselves to extremely high professional standards. For example, we waited until another associate chief suggested that I be promoted. We always made sure that we were respecting those boundaries. That was tough, but I think I am a stronger doctor and a stronger leader because of it.”—GH