Burnout among health system CEOs is nothing new, but it has shifted in the past year amid industrywide uncertainties and heightened financial pressures.
A May survey of CEOs across U.S. industries found that 71% experience burnout, with 7% facing it nearly every day. Thirty-nine percent reported occasional burnout or emotional exhaustion in the past 12 months, while 25% said they felt it frequently.
Becker’s spoke with seven health system CEOs about how the phenomenon has changed and how they avoid it — including strategies for disconnecting on PTO.
Shifting causes of burnout
Larry Antonucci, MD, president and CEO of Fort Myers, Fla.-based Lee Health, said recent burnout is less about long hours and more about uncertainty.
“For me, the nature of burnout has shifted, increasingly driven by the frustration of navigating uncertainty, specifically as it relates to funding,” Dr. Antonucci said. “It’s not the hard work or long hours that take the biggest toll, but the sense that, despite all of the best efforts, it’s even more difficult to advance the mission. That feeling of being stuck is what truly wears people down.”
Shawn Vincent, president and CEO of Maywood, Ill.-based Loyola Medicine and chairman of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, said he has had several candid conversations about burnout with other healthcare leaders.
“While the topic has been on our radar since the pandemic, it has intensified over the past year,” Mr. Vincent said. “What was once occasional stress has become sustained fatigue, driven by workforce shortages, financial pressures, and the emotional toll of leading through prolonged uncertainty.”
Burnout has always been a concern, but there has been a growing understanding that resilience requires intentional effort, Marc Boom, MD, president and CEO of Houston Methodist, noted.
“I am a strong proponent of something I call work-life integration,” Dr. Boom said. “Work-life balance implies one is good and one is bad. Work-life integration means you’re incredibly privileged if you have a job filled with passion and purpose. I firmly believe that being purposeful and intentional about integrating work and life can really help avoid burnout.”
Burnout is prevalent at all levels of healthcare organizations, including the C-suite, and senior leaders must prioritize their own well-being if they are to care for others, whether teams or patients, Kimberly Cripe, co-CEO of Rady Children’s Health in San Diego, said.
“As a CEO or a senior leader of an organization, our work is never done, and I could literally work 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and still not get everything done,” Ms. Cripe said. “I find it’s really hard to prioritize and give myself permission to actually take some time off, or to exercise or to try to get enough sleep.”
Joanne Conroy, MD, president and CEO of Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth Health, noted that there has been an increase in retirements among health system leaders.
“However, many of these individuals extended their tenure because of the COVID pandemic, and many of these leadership changes were expected,” Dr. Conroy said. “In my view, health system CEOs are overwhelmingly mission-driven, putting their communities and supporting their teams first.”
Strategies to reduce burnout risk
Changing her morning routine is one adjustment Dr. Conroy has made to protect her energy and minimize burnout risk.
“Instead of launching out of bed at 5 a.m., I read The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, play Wordle and get the pangram on the NYT Spelling Bee while I drink coffee before I start my day,” she said.
Dr. Antonucci has prioritized regular physical activity.
“It’s easy to push movement aside when work gets busy, but I’ve found that making time for exercise helps clear my mind and reset my energy,” he said. “It’s made a noticeable difference in how I feel.”
Dr. Boom said he strongly believes working in healthcare is a sacred calling. Even on hard days, he is intentional about reminding himself of his “why.”
“To do this, I take time for regular exercise — whether it be jogging or walking my dog — and I also enjoy playing pinball,” he said. “And I am always planning my next vacation. It’s a way to look forward to some downtime, which I make a point to prioritize. When I’m intentional in these ways, and I interact with our employees and patients and see the impact of what we do, I am reminded of why we do what we do.”
Ms. Cripe echoed that prioritizing one’s health and well-being is key as a leader.
“I would really emphasize taking care of yourself as a high priority, and not letting the workload and the responsibility that we all share put us in a position where we aren’t healthy — because we cannot serve the people who are counting on us if we’re not taking care of ourselves,” she said.
Mark Behl, president and CEO of Fairfield, Calif.-based NorthBay Health, also said he prioritizes his own health, well-being and family time to avoid burnout.
Elaine Batchlor, MD, CEO of MLK Community Healthcare in Los Angeles, said her power is hiring the most talented, dedicated, high-performing people, and then letting them do their jobs, which reduces her own stress.
“One thing I’ve started doing differently is taking mini vacations,” she said. “These are vacations I’ve been taking when I have to go out of town for some reason, and then using that as an opportunity to take a few more days off and have some relaxing time for myself.”
Is it possible to disconnect from work while on PTO?
Time-sensitive matters that require attention can make it difficult to fully disconnect while on PTO, Dr. Antonucci said.
“I’ve learned to be realistic about that,” he said. “What works best for me is checking in briefly in the evening to stay on top of anything urgent. It’s not a perfect balance, but it helps me stay present while still being responsive.”
Dr. Conroy also limits the times she checks in with work.
“When I take PTO, I check email only twice: first thing in the morning and before dinner,” she said. “Otherwise, I don’t check my phone for anything work-related all day.”
Is it essential to protect one’s time, whether through carving out daily space to manage priorities or fully disconnecting on PTO, Mr. Vincent said.
“Take control of your calendar and commit to protected time each week, or better yet, each day, so you can catch up on emails, phone calls or other important issues,” he said. “Accept the fact that you can’t do everything yourself and trust the leaders around you to carry some of the load.”
While it is easy to feel like leaders must be “always on,” stepping away is essential for well-being, Dr. Boom said. When he takes time off, it may look different depending on what he needs at the time.
“But whatever I choose to do, I strive to stay in the moment, fully engaged and present with the people around me,” he said. “I am able to do this because I trust the team I have surrounded myself with at Houston Methodist. I rely on my colleagues to lead their teams effectively, and they are empowered to make decisions. This allows me to step away and recharge effectively.”
