Feeling valued goes beyond formal recognition. It reflects a culture where voices are heard, contributions are acknowledged, and support is more than just a buzzword. As health systems continue to navigate complex challenges, from staffing shortages to rising patient demands, fostering a workplace where physicians feel genuinely appreciated may be the key to keeping them engaged, motivated and well.
The good news is that physicians and other health professionals across the country are reporting a growing sense of feeling valued by their organizations, according to exclusive survey data from the AMA.
Nearly 18,000 responses from physicians across 43 states were received from more than 100 health systems and organizations who participated in the AMA’s Organizational Biopsy® last year. The AMA national physician comparison report—which is exclusive data to the AMA that is not published anywhere else—reflects 2024 trends on six key performance indicators—job satisfaction, job stress, burnout, intent to leave an organization, feeling valued by an organization and total hours spent per week on work-related activities (known as “time spend”).
The purpose of the aggregated data is to provide a national summary of organizational well-being and to serve as a comparison for other health care organizations. The results represent data from all organizations that surveyed with the AMA in 2024.
In 2024, 54.5% of physicians reported feeling valued by their organization, up from 50.4% in 2023 and 46.3% in 2022. Meanwhile, 58.2% of men reported higher feelings of value by their organization compared to 51.6% of women physicians.
There was also variation in feeling valued across six physician specialties. They are:
- Family medicine: 56.4%.
- Pediatrics: 55.9%.
- Internal medicine: 53.8%.
- Emergency medicine: 53.3%.
- Obstetrics and gynecology: 52.6%.
- Hospital medicine: 50.6%.
Additionally, 80.8% of physicians reported feeling like they are making a meaningful difference at their job while 81.2% say they have a chance to use their strengths every day at work. And 58.1% feel like they are thriving at their job.
Explore how the AMA Health System Program works with health care leaders to tailor solutions that maximize support for physicians and care teams.
As the leader in physician well-being, the AMA is reducing physician burnout by removing administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine®.
Helping physicians feel valued
As health systems and organizations continue to face staffing shortages and high patient demand, the rising sense of feeling valued among physicians offers a glimmer of hope—and a road map—for sustaining the doctor workforce.
These examples from health care organizations that are members of the AMA Health System Program—which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine—show commitment to helping physicians feel valued.
Bayhealth says calling physicians “providers” is not OK
- Government and commercial insurance sectors were early adopters of the term “provider” in health care, with Medicare using it since 1965 to describe entities eligible to receive Medicare payment. But physician leaders at Delaware-based Bayhealth have had enough, and they are putting a stop to using the term “provider” when referring to physicians. This is one step in ensuring physicians feel valued and respected at Bayhealth.
Hattiesburg Clinic finds ways for physicians to connect
- Personal well-being often takes a back seat to the myriad demands of daily life. Yet amid the hustle and bustle, true connection can help physicians and other health professionals feel more satisfied and motivated in their careers. And while systemic change is necessary to reduce doctor burnout and improve well-being, Hattiesburg Clinic in southern Mississippi also recognizes the need for finding ways to connect.
Marshfield Clinic Health System surveys with the AMA to find solutions
- Physicians are at the forefront of patient care, often working long hours under intense pressure, which can lead to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a diminished sense of feeling valued. By systematically measuring burnout, health systems can identify the problem and target areas for improvement to ensure a supportive work environment and sustain overall well-being for physicians. That’s why Marshfield Clinic Health System chose to measure with the AMA.
Ochsner Health offers a leadership program
- Effective ways to reduce burnout among Ochsner Health physicians started with making physicians feel valued. While there are many drivers of physician burnout, making people feel valued is a key performance indicator that can lead to changes in a short period of time. At Ochsner Health, a key way to help physicians feel valued has been through their leadership program.
Sanford Health empowers doctors to make a change
- At Sanford Health, they take the saying “culture eats strategy for breakfast” seriously. Leaders at the integrated rural health system knew that bringing a strategic plan to life would be an uphill battle if they didn’t invest in a people-focused culture to drive it. That’s why culture comes first at Sanford Health, and helps physicians feel valued.
Sutter Health celebrates successes and offers recognition
- Based on comments about the need to feel valued and for leaders to show more gratitude, Sutter Health shared with leaders its best practices. Those best practices included several ways of celebrating successes and recognizing employees via a smartphone app, handwritten notes, callouts at huddles and meetings, and intown halls.
Texas Children’s Pediatrics listens to physicians’ concerns
- Leaders at Texas Children’s Pediatrics believe they have found a way to reduce burnout among physicians while improving their sense of feeling valued, and it comes down to one word: communication. Texas Children’s Pediatrics established the physician engagement and wellness committee to open lines of communication between physicians and leadership so that needs and challenges could be better understood and more easily addressed.
Download the 2024 AMA Joy in Medicine™ magazine (log into your AMA account to view) to see whether your organization is part of the prestigious group of 130 organizations across 35 states that are currently recognized for their dedication to physician well-being.
AMA STEPS Forward® open-access toolkits offer innovative strategies that allow physicians and their staff to thrive in the new health care environment. These resources can help you prevent burnout, create the organizational foundation for joy in medicine, improve practice efficiency and help physicians feel valued.
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