These health systems use teamwork to improve physician experience

Physicians across the country have been facing widespread burnout that only intensified with the emergence of the COVID-19 public health emergency and has remained higher than pre-pandemic years. With stronger awareness of root causes of burnout and a greater focus on physicians’ overall well-being, health systems are lessening exhaustion and improving the work experience for their teams. 

These examples of health systems 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—are taking team-based approaches to improving the work lives of physicians and it’s helping to prioritize well-being and reducing burnout trends. 

1. Baptist Health helps doctors focus on patients after returning from time off

   1. As a family physician for nearly three decades before taking on his current role, Reggie Lyell, MD, knows firsthand what a burden the inbox has become for physicians. 
   2. “We are trying to let the physicians have a say,” said Dr. Lyell, a physician champion for the EHR at Baptist Health. “We’re trying to lessen physician burnout, but by doing so, we want them to have a say on which patients they take care of and when, and not so much that patients can just dump all of their information and requests on texting.”
   3. Recently, after covering seven in-baskets for a week while teams were on vacation, Dr. Lyell had to manage 40 messages per inbox per day. And that was “just patient request calls,” he said. These are not refill requests. These are not results. These are patients initiating a text or call saying they need to talk about something.” 
   4. Of those messages, about seven “per day needed an office visit within two weeks, but 3.5 of those messages per day needed a visit within three days,” Dr. Lyell said. 
   5. With this data in hand, Dr. Lyell and a highly involved team have worked with a pilot program at Baptist Health to manage the inboxes of physicians and other health professionals so that when they come back to work, they can focus on patients, not clicks. Find out how Baptist Health is helping doctors to focus on patients’ needs when they return. 

2. Confluence Health eases physician burnout by boosting staff training

   1. Physician burnout continues to plague the medical profession. But amid the relentless demands of the health care industry, Confluence Health in Central Washington is taking bold steps to implement innovative strategies to cut stress, enhance work-life balance and foster a culture of support. And these efforts are being noticed.
   2. In 2021, Confluence Health received bronze-level distinction from the AMA’s Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program, which empowers health systems to reduce burnout and build well-being so that physicians and their patients can thrive.
   3. Then, in 2023, by following the program’s framework, Confluence Health earned silver and were among the 72 health systems, hospitals and medical groups that were recognized for their active dedication to physician well-being. The health system has 15 clinics and two hospitals throughout Central Washington, with more than 300 physicians and 170 nonphysician providers. Learn more about how Confluence is reducing burnout through training. 

3. Ochsner Health uses teamwork across their system to beat burnout

   1. In 2023, Ochsner Health was recognized by the Joy in Medicine program for the third time in five years. Nigel Girgrah, MD, PhD, chief wellness officer at Ochsner Health, said that while all three honors were appreciated, their 2023 gold-level recognition carried more weight because of the evolution of how Ochsner Health prioritizes burnout prevention across the organization.
   2. “When you see other large business units at Ochsner—like pharmacy, like IT—rolling out major initiatives to improve practice efficiency and decrease inbox work, that’s cultural alignment,” Dr. Girgrah said. “When you start witnessing boardroom discussions around workforce well-being, well-being featured on department meeting agendas, an openness with our executives to talk about mental health struggles, that’s culture change.”
   3. Discover how Ochsner Health has woven teamwork into myriad facets within their system.

4. Sanford Health improves the physician experience with collaboration

   1. Leaders at Sanford Health say one key to unlocking physician well-being is focusing intently on physician experience. A strong commitment to the experience they have has led to improvements for both physicians and Sanford Health, a physician-driven health system based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that includes about 1,500 physicians, 1,300 nonphysician providers and 45,000 employees working throughout the Midwest. And they are seeing evidence of the usefulness of their efforts.
   2. “Health systems that are focusing on this work are starting to really pay attention to the connection between decreasing burnout and better quality of care for patients,” said Heather Spies, MD, an ob-gyn who is the physician director of clinician experience and well-being at Sanford Health. “If we focus on that, we know we're going to get buy-in from leaders and support to strengthen our approach and strategies to strengthen the clinician experience and reduce burnout.” 
   3. Read more about Sanford Health’s comprehensive approach to improving physicians’ well-being. 

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.

AMA STEPS Forward® open-access resources 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 and improve practice efficiency. 

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