Clinical teams are reaching peak stress levels and there’s little relief in sight. Nurse and physician shortages are expected to worsen over the next five years while demand for care increases.
Health system C-suites are now identifying unique opportunities to address burnout and create a new, resilient culture for the future.
Saad Ehtisham, senior vice president and president of acute care operations said the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based health system is ditching the “shortage mindset” to focus on the talented clinicians already within the system.
“With clinician unemployment below 2%, the real opportunity lies in increasing the time we spend with patients and investing in support roles to elevate their impact,” said Mr. Ehtisham. “We’re also embracing the shift toward a well-being economy, recognizing that caring for our team members is key to retention, upward mobility and long-term competitive advantage.”
Novant is offering opportunities for the clinical team to upskill and create clear career pathways for future growth. They’re not the only ones. Many organizations big and small are adopting new benefits, flexible scheduling and artificial intelligence-driven technology to enhance clinician experience. Ambient listening can cut the time clinicians spend charting and facilitate human-to-human interaction with patients.
Cleveland Clinic is integrating AI tools to support their teams, including AI scribe technology even in ambulatory sites to reduce administrative burden and burnout. Conor Delaney, MD, PhD, CEO and president of Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region, said early feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive” as physicians are able to have more meaningful interactions with patients.
“We’re investing in the long-term strength of our workforce,” said Dr. Delaney. “This includes well-being initiatives and workplace safety measures to apprenticeship programs that nurture future talent. At the heart of our effort is our commitment to fostering the environment where caregivers in every role feel supported, valued and prepared to lead the next era of healthcare.”
The evolving workforce drives smarter, safer and more compassionate care delivery, Dr. Delaney said.
Jeffrey Gold, MD, president of the University of Nebraska System in Lincoln, echoed Dr. Delaney’s sentiments. He said the increasing clinical complexity and demand for academic medical center services requires a skilled and experienced workforce. The health system is focused on its core mission of quality, safety and patient experience when recruiting new talent while also knowing the team is stronger than the individual.
“We have broadly embraced the use of augmented and virtual reality advanced simulation training to not only enhance quality and safety but build meaningful team work and focus on the critical outcomes of patient centered care,” said Dr. Gold. “As the incoming new generation workforce focuses on work-life balance, flexibility and scheduling, so does our ability to provide a meaningful balanced work-life and the maximum flexibility of time, skillset and leadership advancement within the broad capabilities of our large academic medical center within the academic and clinical domain.”
It’s not just the scheduling and tech support that create an ideal culture for clinical well-being; it’s the organizational structure and cascading messaging from the leadership team. Marschall Runge, MD, PhD, executive vice president of medical affairs at the University of Michigan and CEO of Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor said his workforce is evolving due to current challenges and his executive team is focused on their experience and well-being.
“We’ve increased the cadence of meetings across all levels to strengthen communication, teamwork and shared purpose,” he said. In this dynamic environment, we are also emphasizing wellness, civility and mutual respect across a diverse community with wide-ranging views.”
