Caring for the Caregivers: Coping with Burnout Blues in Healthcare

Whether you live in the nation's biggest cities, smallest towns, or somewhere in between, there is a common denominator within the walls of hospitals and healthcare clinics – long hours, high-stress situations and burnout are taking a significant toll on healthcare workers' mental and physical well-being.

Dr. Debra Houry, Chief Medical Officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently highlighted burnout as a growing threat to healthcare professionals. "Burnout among these workers has reached crisis levels," she said.

Workplace wellness programs are becoming commonplace in the healthcare industry, offering resources and support for physical and mental health, improving employee satisfaction and retention. In a field where empathy and compassion are as necessary as technical skills and schooling, providers who feel supported and healthy are better equipped to provide compassionate and effective care to patients.

A prescription for a more resilient workforce

Jesse Ehrenfeld MD MPH , president of the American Medical Association , sat down with Courtney Collen of Sanford Health News during his recent trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. As part of the Reimagining Rural Health live podcast booth at the 2023 Summit on the Future of Rural Health Care, the two discussed physician burnout causes and cures.

"There's a growing awareness of physician burnout and its implication for health care over the long haul," said Dr. Ehrenfeld about opportunities when it comes to building a stronger rural health care workforce. "It's certainly encouraging to me to see the kinds of things that are happening to support resilience and physicians who need help... I'm optimistic when I see physicians stepping up day in and day out, in spite of all the challenges."

Dr. Ehrenfeld spoke on how the American Medical Association has supported legislative maneuvers in many states to make sure there are confidential physician wellness programs so healthcare workers have a place to turn to. "I think there are a lot of opportunities to make sure that as people are overwhelmed working in the system that we're in today, that people see there's a place that they can turn to that has their back."

"We've made a lot of strides in just sort of addressing the fact that we don't have the people we need and that we need to better support physicians working in the system," Ehrenfeld said, noting that the problem is "with the system, not the individual physician."

The gold standard in workplace culture, benefits, compliance, and wellness programs

"At Sanford Health, it is our philosophy to be purposeful with our intent of making sure our clinicians enjoy their practice," said Heather Spies, MD, MBA , physician director of clinician experience and well-being, about Sanford's recent AMA Joy in Medicine Gold award being a testament to the dedication to the well-being of Sanford caregivers. "We know that when we invest in our clinicians, we're ensuring all of our patients receive the best care possible."

The American Medical Association distinction is granted to organizations that attest to the rigorous criteria and demonstrate a commitment to preserving the well-being of clinical care team members through proven efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout.

A total of 72 health systems nationwide, including Sanford Health , earned recognition in 2023 with documented efforts to reduce system-level drivers of work-related burnout and demonstrated competencies in commitment, assessment, leadership, efficiency of practice environment, teamwork and support.

Building a culture of well-being as the largest rural health care system in the United States has been an enterprise-wide initiative for Sanford. We have been able to build that culture through an enterprise clinician well-being council, peer support groups, a mentorship program, a clinician assistance program that includes peer coaching, and the RISES clinician leadership development program.

A closer look into a rural workplace culture of well-being

"Focusing on the well-being of our clinicians is the single greatest asset to Sanford Health," said Daniel Hoody, MD, MSc , vice president, medical office and clinic, Sanford Bemidji. "The various programs have played a critical role in ensuring our clinicians are at their best, which in turn has positively impacted patient care."

The enterprise clinician well-being council is a resource available to all clinicians at Sanford Health that seeks to address and prioritize well-being. The council is led by the clinician experience medical director and includes volunteer clinician members, including APPs and medical residents. This clinician-led council meets regularly to discuss ways to improve wellness and advises leaders how to enhance the clinician experience at Sanford Health.

Other leaders at Sanford Health have noticed a difference too.

"Since initiating our clinician well-being programs, we've seen a culture shift where our clinicians are more willing to reach out for assistance," said Joshua Crabtree , M.D., vice president, clinic, Sanford Sioux Falls. "Clinician well-being has become integrated into our daily routine at Sanford and has helped bring back the joy in medicine to our program."

Programs such as peer support groups, a mentorship program, a clinician assistance program that includes confidential counseling, and a professional practice support program with peer coaching, are all part of the overall well-being culture at Sanford Health.

"They are better at recognizing burnout, which has led to advocating for better work-life balance and being more upfront about setting boundaries," said Mubashir Badar, M.D., vice president, clinic, Sanford Bismarck. "Sanford's programs have created a culture that accepts that it is okay not to be okay, and there's no shame in seeking help."

Developing the current and future workforce

"As practicing medicine continues to become more complex, it's crucial for our clinicians to be healthy and resilient to meet these challenging times," said Doug Griffin, M.D., vice president, clinic, Sanford Fargo. "Our clinician well-being programs have been designed to set our clinicians up for success long-term."

Our Clinician Experience team partners with every clinician from the moment they sign on through to retirement. During their first week at Sanford, providers begin their orientation process with a well-being workshop.

RISES, a completely free three-year development and career growth program at Sanford, is offered to 25 clinicians at a time. The program stands for Reach, Impact, Strategy, Empower, Serve – it's rooted in encouraging self-care, wellness, building relationships and promoting health work-family-life integration. The program identifies leaders and connects them to comprehensive personal development programs and opportunities to lead our organization now and in the future. The program is 'designed to encompass coaching, mentoring and fostering growth while building the best culture possible for all our clinicians.'

What does the future look like for workplace wellness?

During his conversation with Sanford Health News, Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld spoke on what excites him about the future of rural healthcare.

"I think technology's a real game changer when it comes to caring for patients, particularly in rural communities and medically underserved areas," he said. "I'm really excited about what AI can bring. I think we need to make sure that we think about it as augmenting the capabilities of our clinicians, not replacing it... I think that there are a lot of opportunities to relay on technologies, re-engineer our workflows, and I'm optimistic about what that's going to mean for our rural communities."

Listen to Dr. Ehrenfeld's full conversation on Reimagining Rural Health: