This story is one of more than 20 health system profiles featured in the 2025 AMA Joy in Medicine® magazine (log into your AMA account to view).
Change can start with one person. But for true reform to come about, an organization needs to make changes that are systemic and cultural in nature, that permeate the highest levels and take root in every corner of the institution.
Mary Pan, MD, a family physician and chief wellness officer at Washington Permanente Medical Group, focused on connecting with senior leadership when she accepted her role in spring 2020. She had buy-in from those leaders from the very start.
“That was imperative,” says Dr. Pan. “You need to make the case about the importance of well-being. It is a long-term investment that you are making in people.”
The looming health care worker shortage, increased needs of the patient population and other challenges nationwide are reasons why physician well-being needs to continue to be at the forefront for all organizations, including Washington Permanente Medical Group, Dr. Pan says.
Wide-reaching systemic and cultural changes that support clinicians and others’ well-being have long been a goal at Washington Permanente Medical Group in greater Seattle.
The evidenced-based AMA Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Program has provided a framework that has helped the organization embark on its journey to greater well-being.
“It is important to address this issue at all levels. Individual supports, team, and a system-wide approach are very important right now,” Dr. Pan says.
There is the question of professional fulfillment for the individual, but also the imperative for thriving teams. How is the team culture, teamwork, and community? And how can we best address issues at the broader system level?
“We really want to address it at all three levels,” says Dr. Pan, who notes that a wholistic approach to clinician well-being has been a primary focus for the last five years.
“This year, we are specifically also focusing a lot on leaders—local leaders, operational leaders, as well as our executive leaders—because we know that leaders both at the senior level and at the local level make the biggest difference on workforce well-being,” she adds.
Efforts are moving the needle at Washington Permanente Medical Group.
Wellness-centered leadership
Because leader behaviors make a difference in frontline clinicians’ well-being, Washington Permanente Medical Group has created Wellness Centered Leadership and onboarding programs to support new leaders in the organization. They also offer well-being workshops and retreats and team building workshops for teams that surveys show have low engagement rates or are at high risk for burnout.
“We want to offer them specific supports, so we tailor the support based on what their surveys and what their frontline people say that they need and want,” Dr. Pan says.
