As physician burnout remains one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare, health systems face intense pressure to address workforce shortages, rising patient demand and ongoing operational strains. For smaller organizations like Bayhealth, those pressures often feel even more acute due to limited resources and staffing.
But at Bayhealth, leaders have made a deliberate choice to prioritize physician well-being despite those constraints. Through structured programs, grassroots initiatives and a culture of support, the organization continues to expand how it improves physician well-being.
This commitment helped Bayhealth earn Silver-level recognition from the AMA’s Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Programlast year, and it is now driving the next phase of its well-being strategy.
Bayhealth has two committees that drive its well-being initiatives. The Bayhealth Medical Staff Wellness Committee focuses on physician well-being, and the Be Well Committee brings together team members from departments across Bayhealth, including patient safety, volunteer services and nursing.
Together, these committees have helped make well-being a top priority for Bayhealth, using the Joy in Medicine Program as a blueprint.
“The Joy in Medicine Program is a great framework for how we should be approaching physician well-being,” said Thomas Vaughan, MD, a radiologist and chief wellness officer for Bayhealth. “When we got the recognition, it confirmed we are on the right path. The majority of Joy in Medicine recipients are larger systems, so it made us wonder if a smaller organization like ours can do it as well. And this showed that we can.”
Smaller systems face real challenges when they try to scale well-being initiatives. Limited staff and fewer resources often force difficult decisions about where to focus. That is why, at Bayhealth, leaders chose to hold off on re-applying for Joy in Medicine recognition this year so they can fully implement initiatives identified in the previous cycle.
That decision reflects a broader strategy, as Bayhealth opts to build sustainable, impactful programs rather than chase new data points.
Still, Bayhealth’s commitment to well-being has only grown stronger. And Dr. Vaughan already has his sights set on the next goal.
“We are actually going to make a focused effort on trying to get Gold, which would be pretty rare since I don’t think there are many places our size that have achieved Gold,” he said.
For now, Dr. Vaughan continues strengthening existing programs, while expanding support across the organization.
Bayhealth 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.
Supporting physicians’ mental health
As stress and burnout continue to affect physician well-being, one of Bayhealth’s top priorities is making it easy for physicians to get mental health care.
“While the burnout rate is going down a bit now, physicians, nurses and clinicians across the frontline have had so many challenges,” said Dr. Vaughan.
Access to mental health care remains one of the biggest barriers. There are limited mental health professionals in Delaware overall, making it difficult to secure an appointment.
“And it’s even harder for physicians because they may not want to go to someone they know or locally,” Dr. Vaughan explained.
To address this gap, Bayhealth partnered with VITAL WorkLife, a virtual mental health provider that offers 24/7 access to counseling and coaching.
“It’s a virtual platform that is completely confidential, so physicians feel more comfortable using these services,” said Dr. Vaughan.
This effort reflects a broader commitment to reducing stigma and barriers to care. It also helped Bayhealth earn recognition as a 2025 Wellbeing First Champion from the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation.
“It’s gratifying to know that Bayhealth is joining with the leading healthcare systems in the nation when it comes to advocating for the mental health care needs of our team,” Dr. Vaughan said in a press release. “Members of our staff need to know they can get the help they need when they need it without the stigma that often comes with mental health care.”
In addition to professional support, Bayhealth also invested in building a peer support program. Over 300 Bayhealth physicians and other health professionals participated in the Resilience in Stressful Events (RISE) training program, which helps “prepare healthcare workers to provide skilled, nonjudgemental and confidential support to their peers.”
Today, Bayhealth has about 140 active peer supporters who help colleagues navigate challenging situations.
“It’s been a great resource for Bayhealth team members and a real success for us,” said Dr. Vaughan.
Addressing the physician shortage
The physician workforce shortage continues to drive stress and burnout across health systems nationwide. Bayhealth faces those same pressures, compounded by demographic shifts in its region.
Although Delaware is one of the smallest states in the country, its population continues to grow and age. Several years ago, two of the state’s three counties ranked among the fastest growing in the country. Many retirees are now choosing Delaware over traditional destinations like Florida.
“We have a big retirement community, which adds a lot of healthcare demand,” explained Dr. Vaughan. “It’s a real challenge to meet these demands and increase productivity, while balancing physician well-being.”
To strengthen its workforce pipeline, Bayhealth started internal medicine and family medicine residency programs four years ago. The system has since expanded the program to emergency medicine, general surgery and three fellowships. The program now has about 100 residents and fellows.
“There is also a big push to get a medical school,” said Dr. Vaughan. “We are about an hour and a half away from three or four of the best medical centers in the country. So, we get some trainees from those places, but we’re hoping to produce some of our own right here.”
These efforts aim to create a more stable workforce, while reducing long-term strain on existing physicians and care teams.
Building community
Bayhealth also invests in community building that strengthens morale and reinforces connection among team members.
Last fall, Bayhealth hosted a gala to shine a spotlight on women physicians. The night highlighted their contributions and included a talent show that allowed physicians to share another side of themselves with their colleagues.
“That was a nice event that really helped build community,” said Dr. Vaughan.
The system is also currently preparing to launch its first Wellness Day at each hospital. Through Bayhealth’s partnership with the Biggs Museum of American Art, there will be art therapy stations, as well as sound baths using singing bowls, improv sessions led by a comedian, pet therapy, hand massages and more.
“We’ve never done this before, so we’re excited. It’s something we’ve been wanting to do for a while,” said Dr. Vaughan.
At Bayhealth, community building extends beyond the hospital as well. Many team members participate in Free Bikes 4 Kidz, a national nonprofit that Dr. Vaughan is deeply involved with. Bayhealth provided space in a former mall that it converted into an outpatient center, allowing the nonprofit to use the unrenovated areas.
Through partnerships with groups such as the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA and Salvation Army, the program has distributed 1,200 bikes and helmets to children in their region.
“We’ve had several departments at Bayhealth volunteer with us,” said Dr. Vaughan. “Giving back and volunteering does a lot for burnout and stress; it gives purpose and meaning to your life.”
Looking ahead
As Bayhealth continues to fine-tune and grow its well-being efforts, leaders are focused on several significant initiatives to improve the physician experience.
Technology plays a central role in that effort. For instance, Bayhealth is launching several Epic-related projects designed to reduce administrative burden and streamline workflows. Jonathan Kaufmann, DO, vice president and chief health officer at Bayhealth, leads much of that work.
“Dr. Kaufmann has been working on a project in Epic to summarize patients’ charts, and people who have tried it are excited about that,” said Dr. Vaughan. “There are many things with IT and AI that are in the early phases and have been mostly well-received. We will be fleshing out a lot of IT work over the next year.”
At the same time, Dr. Vaughan plans to expand internal engagement by developing a well-being advocate program to keep well-being priorities visible across the organization.
“Being a smaller organization, we need to continue to advocate for well-being and keep it front and center,” he said.
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