Health systems that are committed to physician well-being must invest in the systems, structures and processes that support it. As a longtime Gold-level recognized organization of the AMA Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Program, Ochsner Health leverages data on several fronts to measure physician well-being without causing survey fatigue.
This doesn’t just involve quantitative feedback, operational metrics and AMA data. It’s also about survey design: alternating shorter and longer surveys, avoiding survey timing conflicts, and asking only actionable questions, according to Nigel Girgrah, MD, PhD, Ochsner’s chief wellness officer.
Gulf South-based Ochsner Health is part of the AMA Health System Member Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
On the quantitative side, Ochsner relies heavily on results from AMA’s Organizational Biopsy, which is a survey that tracks key performance indicators related to physician well-being and workplace culture. Ochsner has been participating in this survey since 2019. Typically, Ochsner sends out its well-being survey in mid-January, closing it a few weeks later.
“We look at year-over-year changes in key indicators like burnout,” said Dr. Girgrah. Burnout for Ochsner peaked in 2021 at 55%, when the national rate was around 63%.
“Since then, we’ve been able to make year-over-year improvements,” he said.
Job satisfaction, for example, has risen from 69.2% in 2019 to 74.5% in 2024. Over the same time period, job stress has gone down from 51.4% to 43.3%. Meanwhile, most physicians also feel valued by the organization.
Such progress takes patience. For the first several years, the focus had to be on building the right structures, programs and processes—not just chasing outcomes.
"In the quality and safety arena, processes like hand hygiene lead to the goal of reduced hospital acquired infections. Therefore, it’s the processes that have to be supported and incentivized,” said Dr. Girgrah. “Ochsner has taken the same approach to physician well-being."
After several years of investing in the right processes and infrastructure, “we're delighted to see the outcomes that we want to see,” he added.
Data analysis shows what’s working—and what isn’t
“The data shows what’s working well and what isn’t,” Dr. Girgrah said. One area showing positive results is leadership development. He pointed to the Personal Leadership Program, where investments have correlated with improvements in several key performance indicators measured through the survey.
At the same time, the data has revealed areas that need attention.
Without quantitative data, Dr. Girgrah said, health systems would struggle to identify priorities.
“We’d be flying blind,” he said.
The health system has also made progress on “pajama time”—the after-hours work physicians spend in the EHR—using Epic Signal reports and other operational data to track improvements.
There’s a science to deploying surveys
Deciding when to deploy physician surveys—and how to avoid survey fatigue—requires careful planning and clear communication.
“It’s critical to work closely with our internal communications team,” said Dr. Girgrah, adding that “you want to make sure you’re not competing with another major survey.”
Timing also matters in a region that’s known for celebrations and cultural events, where major events can affect participation.
“There are a lot of competing festivals and holidays,” he said. “You don’t want to launch a survey when it overlaps with Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest or Thanksgiving.”
To reduce fatigue, Ochsner alternates between shorter and more comprehensive surveys. In some years, the organization deploys a condensed version of its organizational biopsy.
“When we do that, we take a very deep look at the questions and make sure we’re only asking things that are actionable and not duplicative of other surveys,” Dr. Girgrah said.
Equally important is demonstrating that feedback leads to action.
“Before launching a new survey, we make a point of communicating a ‘You said it, we did it’ message,” he said. “We show physicians what we heard in the previous survey and what changes were made as a result. This way, it doesn’t feel like we’re surveying for the sake of surveying.”
Communication, Dr. Girgrah added, must be ongoing and multifaceted—especially in a large health system with more than 44,000 employees. You have to communicate multiple times through different channels.
Over the past several years, Ochsner Health has worked to tailor communications specifically for physicians, and how they prefer to receive information, compared with other groups.
“Physicians are incredibly busy, and it’s hard for them to keep up with what’s going on in the organization,” he said.
The AMA provides organizational well-being solutions to guide physicians and health systems on developing and implementing strategies to optimize practice efficiencies, reduce burnout, and rediscover the Joy in Medicine.
Download the 2025 AMA Joy in Medicine® magazine (log into your AMA account to view) to see whether your organization is part of the prestigious group of 164 organizations across 40 states and the District of Columbia that are currently recognized for their dedication to physician well-being.
AMA STEPS Forward® offers real-world solutions to common challenges in healthcare today. Explore a variety of innovative, physician-developed resources designed to help prevent physician burnout, optimize workflows, improve well-being and enhance patient care.
