At an Ochsner Health hospital campus, a private space equipped with immersive reality applications aimed at reducing stress is available for staff. Photo credit: Nigel Girgrah, Ochsner Health (Change Maker Accelerator)
By Jamie Durana
Pressures on health workers have increased dramatically over the years, leading to skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, burnout, and overall job dissatisfaction. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed stark examples of health workers pushed to their limits, and statistics show the workforce is on the brink: in 2023, close to half of all health workers in the United States reported that they felt burned out—up from just a third in 2018—and almost a quarter said they intended to leave their jobs. Clinician burnout is estimated to cost the U.S. health care system more than $4 billion annually.
The message is clear: it is critical for the system to prioritize health worker well-being. In turn, providers will be better able to deliver high-quality care to patients and communities across the country. Interventions aimed at improving clinician well-being are having a positive impact, but scaling up to meet needs across the health sector is key.
A Blueprint for Change
Building on six years of work, the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience launched the Change Maker Campaign in 2023 to support a national movement for health workforce well-being and deepen partnerships that can drive change across the health sector and beyond. This campaign centers on the priority areas outlined in the NAM’s landmark 2022 publication, the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being. The report is the game plan for improving health worker well-being and the campaign is building a team to put it into action nationwide. The campaign offers a dynamic mechanism to facilitate information sharing and collaboration across well-being initiatives, document their impact, and scale up effective solutions to common challenges.
Officially launched last October, the response to the Change Maker Campaign has been overwhelming. More than 390 health-focused institutions nationwide have signed up, signifying their commitment to making health worker well-being a long-term value in their operations. These participating organizations, known as Change Makers, have committed to a variety of roles such as accelerating change, coaching each other, and amplifying key messages based on the National Plan priority areas. Change Maker organizations identify themselves—and their commitment—with a digital badge on their websites.
Accelerating a Movement
A key component of the campaign is the group of Change Maker Accelerators. These 23 organizations, including hospitals, health systems, and accrediting associations, are tracking the implementation of well-being initiatives at their own institutions. This year, the NAM is working with the inaugural group to build a community of practice and help them measure progress. The Accelerator model fosters dynamic joint learning about real-world implementation and provides space for building relationships across organizations based on common priorities.
Accelerators participate in a peer coaching groups designed to enhance their work. Four expert-led coaching groups focus on critical areas like engaging leadership or designing effective collaborations within their organizations. The coaching groups meet monthly to check progress and discuss fine-tuning strategies to meet changing needs, while the full group of Accelerators gathers quarterly for learning sessions to share successful strategies and address any obstacles that may have come up.
The Accelerators are a core group, but the Change Maker Campaign is also designed to have a far-reaching impact. In addition to the work of the individual participating health care institutions, professional associations and national organizations are playing an essential role amplifying the campaign’s message to a broader audience. To support this widespread effort, the Accelerators will develop implementation guides and resources on addressing common challenges to share with all organizations signed on to the Change Maker Campaign. The goal is for practical guidance to make implementation easier and increase uptake across organizations of all sizes.
In a significant milestone for the campaign, March 18 was established as the annual national Health Workforce Well-Being Day. The day was recognized for the first time this year—the NAM and partners hosted an inaugural event featuring Congressional speakers, the Surgeon General, and health care leaders who shared personal stories about their own experiences with burnout and the unique stresses that health professionals face.
Voices from the Field
With the first national Health Workforce Well-Being Day in the books, the Change Maker Campaign is building on growing momentum already being felt across the health sector. Change Maker organizations have started sharing their perspectives on clinician well-being and offering insights into their organizations’ goals and visions for the future. Laxmi Mehta, chief well-being leader at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, emphasizes that, beyond individual interventions, a fundamental shift is required to make well-being a consistent priority: “Institutionalizing well-being as a long-term value requires acknowledging employees and learners as the foundation of our organization and ensuring their holistic well-being is paramount.”
The campaign also recognizes the need to explore creative and culturally responsive approaches to well-being. Chyela Rowe, manager of arts therapies and well-being at CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, points out that the arts can be indispensable avenues for building diverse and imaginative solutions to address multi-faceted topics like clinician well-being. “We need active imaginations, full of complex visions of flourishing to sustain well-being as a convention, norm, or broadly embraced culture,” she explains.
A well-being suite for staff at CHI Memorial is available 24 hours a day and offers space for music and art. Photo credit: Chyela Rowe, CHI Memorial, CommonSpirit Health (Change Maker Accelerator)
As the Change Maker Campaign continues to evolve, the NAM and its partners are looking forward to more organizations joining the cause. The campaign’s future directions include expanding to more types of organizations beyond health-focused and engaging individuals through Health Workforce Well-Being Day. By bringing together diverse stakeholders and fostering a movement built around knowledge-sharing and scaling successes, the campaign is paving the way for a healthier workforce—and, ultimately, a stronger health system for all.
