8 doctors lead the indictment in the fight against burnout of doctors

Doctors’ burnout is not a new concept, but awareness of this professional hardship and exhaustion among doctors has been heightened by COVID-19. This increased awareness of burnout among physicians has helped prioritize system-level wellbeing initiatives and support the health and resilience of frontline physicians and care team members.

Whether a physician is Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), Director of Wellbeing, or some other variation on that role, these physicians work through a variety of means to combat physician burnout. From improving communication and providing peer support to changing organizational and team culture, these wellness experts haven’t let the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic get in the way.

Here are eight doctors dedicated to reducing burnout and improving wellbeing.

1. 1. Health systems need to develop their support systems and make well-being a top priority in the future. For AMA member Heather Farley, MD, Chief Wellness Officer at ChristianaCare in Wilmington, Delaware, that means being in the trenches with her colleagues to better understand their evolving needs. Learn from Dr. Farley, how health systems can continue to address doctor burnout and ongoing stress from COVID-19.
2. 1. Amy Frieman, Dr Springtime and never missed a beat. Learn how Dr. Frieman moved into her role as CWO at the onset of a pandemic and continues to focus on her plans to ensure the wellbeing of doctors.
3. 1. When the fourth wave of the pandemic hit New Orleans, AMA member Nigel Girgrah, MD, PhD saw a lot of anger he hadn’t seen before, even in himself. Girgrah is a transplant hepatologist and chief wellness officer at Ochsner Health, a member of the AMA Health System Program. Dr. Girgrah talks about the impact of low vaccination rates, Hurricane Ida and burnout on doctors, and how Ochsner continues to focus on the wellbeing of its employees.
4. 1. You will have difficulty satisfying your medical career when there is a tendency to strive for perfection. Just ask AMA member Lisa MacLean, MD who has thought many times about what she could or should have done better.
   2. Knowing that she was not alone among her colleagues, Dr. MacLean, psychiatrist with the Henry Ford Health System, had the opportunity to become Henry Ford’s Director of Medical Wellbeing. Dr. MacLean explains her role at Henry Ford and how the pandemic has affected doctors’ wellbeing.
5. 1. For AMA member William Barish, MD, chief wellness officer for Samaritan Health Services in Lebanon, Oregon, his journey to tackling doctor burnout and improving wellbeing began in 2018. As the effects and duration of the pandemic prevented progress, The efforts for the well-being at Samaritan were necessary remodeling. Learn how Dr. Barish moved to CWO and how COVID-19 resulted in a change in Samaritan’s focus on wellbeing, as well as his outlook on future efforts to combat doctor burnout.

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6. 1. Like most doctors, Patricia Wooden, MD, has a history of burnout. When she experienced burnout, Dr. Wooden, a family doctor, to recover and start over without changing jobs. Through this experience, Dr. Wooden, that she didn’t want others to do it alone. Dr. Wooden is now the Director of Clinician Wellbeing Systems for PeaceHealth Medical Group in Vancouver, Washington. Discover how Dr. Wooden’s personal burnout story inspired her and how the pandemic changed her efforts for her wellbeing.
7. 1. When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, AMA member Heather Schmidt, DO, switched to her role as systems medicine director for healthy work and wellbeing at SSM Health. Dr. Schmidt began focusing on doctor burnout two years earlier, but treating well-being during the pandemic required a change in those plans. Dr. Schmidt explains how she helped establish employee well-being as a key performance indicator at SSM Health and how she switched to her new role during the pandemic.
8. 1. Realizing that it’s okay to be wrong, Sanford Health System executives made building a culture of wellbeing a top priority even before the advent of COVID-19. But when the global pandemic broke out, the work they were doing to reduce doctor burnout and increase wellbeing never stalled. Instead, the pandemic helped accelerate it.
   2. Learn how Luis Garcia, MD, surgeon and president of the Sanford Health Systems in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, established a culture of wellbeing and the vital role teamwork plays in the process.

With the aim of making physician burnout a thing of the past, the AMA has studied and is currently addressing issues that cause and promote burnout in physicians – including time constraints, technology, and regulations – to better understand and reduce the challenges physicians face . By focusing on factors that cause burnout at the system level, the AMA assesses an organization’s wellbeing and provides guidelines and targeted solutions to support physician wellbeing and satisfaction.

AMA STEPS Forward ™ Open Access Toolkits offer innovative strategies that enable doctors and their staff to thrive in the new healthcare environment. These courses can help you avoid doctor burnout, create the organizational basis for enjoying medicine and increase the efficiency of your practice.

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The CME module “Chief Wellness Officer Road Map” is permanent material and is shown by the AMA for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA category 1 credits.

The module is part of the AMA Ed Hub™, an online platform with world-class CME and education that supports the professional development needs of physicians and other health professionals. With topics relevant to you, it also provides an easy and streamlined way to find, record, track, and report educational activity.

Learn more about AMA CME accreditation.