According to the latest exclusive AMA data, about 45% of physicians are feeling a great deal of stress because of their job. This is a marked decrease from more than 55% just two years earlier, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Fortunately, there are proven strategies for tackling the systemic drivers of burnout that health systems can implement and make gains on this and other measures of physician well-being.
Physicians who want their organizations to take big steps in the right direction on doctors’ well-being will find a powerful ally in the AMA. As the leader in physician well-being, the AMA is reducing physician burnout by removing administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine®.
The AMA Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program empowers health systems to reduce burnout and build well-being so that physicians and their patients can thrive. It is designed to:
- Provide a road map for health system leaders to implement programs and policies that support physician well-being.
- Unite the health care community in building a culture committed to increasing joy in medicine for the profession nationwide.
- Build awareness about solutions that promote joy in medicine and spur investment within health systems to reduce physician burnout.
The Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program is based on three levels of organizational achievement in prioritizing and investing in physician well-being. Each level—bronze, silver and gold—is composed of six domains: assessment, commitment, efficiency of practice environment, teamwork, leadership and support.
Organizations must meet five of six domains to be eligible for a recognition level. Domains must be the same across levels.
What efficiency means to well-being
The third domain, efficiency of practice environment, involves measuring time spent on the EHR to streamline workflows.
Bronze-level organizations are required to have measured time on EHR via EHR audit data in a minimum of four specialties, as well as shared EHR results with specialty leaders.
Silver-level organizations have also normalized two or more EHR metrics to either eight hours of patient scheduled hours or to appointment volume. In addition, they have actively de-implemented or completely removed at least three administrative burdens that contribute little or no value to care, impede the work of physicians and waste time or other resources.
Gold-level organizations have gone a step further by normalizing EHR and WOW to eight hours of patient scheduled hours and implementing an intervention based on EHR audit results.
How others have done it
The Southeast Permanente Medical Group (TSPMG) is a 2023 bronze-level organization. It is also 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.
TSPMG had been working for years to improve operational inefficiencies with its Pebbles in the Shoe campaign, which set out to identify and reduce inefficiencies and documentation burdens by inviting clinicians and staff to submit ideas.
“Many of the pebbles we received were related to IT—things like our EHR,” Reneathia P. Baker, MD, said in a previously published AMA news article.
Dr. Baker—a TSPMG pediatrician and associate medical director for people and culture at TSPMG, in Atlanta—said “that’s when we had an ‘Aha!’ moment that we needed someone on our wellness committee who understood the complexities and could help solve those problems.”
Ah Rim Shin, MD, a TSPMG family doctor who joined the wellness committee as physician lead in 2022, said the guidelines for the AMA Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program were very helpful to the health system’s physician well-being efforts. She also took advantage of the AMA’s drop-in sessions to hear from the Joy in Medicine team.
“The assistance from the AMA in the application process was crucial,” Dr. Shin said in a previously published AMA news article. “The sessions answered questions that I didn’t even know I had, and will help us prepare for future applications. The AMA team was so responsive and supportive.”
Dr. Baker said the AMA framework has helped her and her colleagues clearly explain to senior leaders how they are approaching the burnout phenomenon. She added that they follow the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program’s six domains all the time to explain why they put certain activities ahead of others.
Efficiency tools, resources from the AMA
Download the 2024 AMA Joy in Medicine® magazine (log into your AMA account to view) to see whether your organization is part of the prestigious cohort of 130 organizations across 35 states that are currently recognized for their dedication to physician well-being.
If your organization is not yet recognized, there are several tools that you and your organization’s leaders can use to further advance physician well-being and get recognition for the work you are already doing to measure and prevent doctor burnout.
Two AMA STEPS Forward® playbooks, “Taming the EHR” and “Saving Time,” explore tried-and-true ways to streamline workflows.
In addition, two AMA STEPS Forward toolkits, “A Systematic Approach to Reducing EHR Inbox Burden” and “Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff," have practical tips for reducing low-value and unnecessary work.
Health care organizations interested in the 2026 Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program application cycle should view the 2026 Program Guidelines (PDF) to learn more about the application process and criteria. They should also submit an intent to apply today for the 2026 application cycle. All organizations must do so to get access to the application.
The 2025–2026 Joy in Medicine recognized organizations will be publicly announced Sept. 3.
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