Join 190 Founding Change Makers in Taking Action to Support Health Workers
On the 1-year anniversary of the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) invites health organizations and other key actors to join an inaugural cohort of Change Makers in affirming their commitment to institutionalize health worker well-being as a long-term value. This commitment is a foremost priority in the National Plan, which provides a roadmap to take action to address the health worker burnout crisis across all specialties and settings.
The NAM’s Change Maker Campaign will provide a dynamic mechanism to facilitate information sharing and collaboration across ongoing well-being initiatives, document their impact, and amplify effective solutions to common challenges. Change Maker organizations will receive public recognition through an annual Change Maker for Health Workforce Well-Being badge to display on websites and other materials. Their work will be instrumental in identifying successes and challenges, measuring progress, and inspiring support for health worker well-being across the nation.
Take the next step and join our health workforce well-being movement by signing up to become a Change Maker today >>
“We know that the burnout crisis is a challenge that can only be solved if we work together to support health workers and ultimately all patients and communities. The Change Maker Campaign is an exciting opportunity to mobilize a collective effort to drive change,” said NAM President Victor J. Dzau, MD. “With hundreds of organizations as part the campaign, we can achieve a critical mass of health systems, hospitals, practices, academia, professional associations, private sectors, and related entities to truly make the major changes needed to reverse and prevent this health workforce crisis. The NAM is proud to lead a needed movement to help institutionalize well-being as a long-term value and serve as a catalyzing hub for progress and collaboration.”
The Change Maker Campaign is led by the NAM Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience, which is co-chaired by Dzau alongside Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, U.S. Surgeon General; Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP, President and CEO of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; and Darrell G. Kirch, MD, President Emeritus of the Association of American Medical Colleges. “Health workers are the backbone of our health care system, but they have been facing tremendous long-standing challenges, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Murthy. “Launching this Change Maker Campaign is an important step to sustaining systems-level support and resources for all health workers. We must tend to health worker well-being and focus on systems and cultural changes because our nation’s health and well-being depend on it.”
“To spark a national movement to support health worker well-being, we must start from a deep commitment to well-being as a long-term value,” added Nasca. “We cannot make meaningful change to our health system without this foundation of health organizations of all settings forming a network built upon this shared, embedded value.” Kirch noted, “Supporting the well-being of our health workforce is part of ensuring high-quality patient care. Caring for those who care for us is critical to ensuring safety and quality throughout our health care system, and sustaining the current and future health workforce.”
National Day to Raise Awareness and Take Action
All Change Maker organizations will be invited to participate in a celebration of the inaugural National Day for Health Workforce Well-Being in 2024, organized by the NAM with the support of diverse partners and the engagement of all stakeholders. This day of awareness and action will serve as an opportunity to raise national visibility about health workforce well-being, improve public understanding of the challenges faced by the health workforce, express gratitude to health workers, and provide an opportunity for institutions and the public to reflect annually on the progress made in advancing the movement to support health worker well-being.
About the National Plan
The National Plan highlights seven priority areas for improving health worker well-being:
- Create and sustain positive work and learning environments and culture
- Invest in measurement, assessment, strategies, and research
- Support mental health and reduce stigma
- Address compliance, regulatory, and policy barriers for daily work
- Engage effective technology tools
- Institutionalize well-being as a long-term value
- Recruit and retain a diverse and inclusive health workforce
Learn more about the National Plan at nam.edu/NationalPlan.
About the Clinician Well-Being Collaborative
The NAM’s Clinician Well-Being Collaborative is a network of expert volunteers and leaders committed to reversing trends in health worker burnout. Learn more about the Collaborative at nam.edu/ClinicianWellBeing. Register to receive updates at bit.ly/NAMListserv. For questions, contact [email protected].
