Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health has earned recognition from the American Medical Association’s Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program. The AMA distinction is granted only to those organizations that demonstrate a commitment to preserving the well-being of clinical care team members by engaging in proven efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout.
“The past few years have been particularly challenging for clinicians nationwide, including our team at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians,” said Jennifer Collins, PsyD, Chief Well-Being Officer. “This award from the AMA marks a foundational step in our pursuit of restoring joy in medicine and provides a roadmap for our continuing efforts to enhance the professional and personal well-being of our clinicians.”
“Health systems that have earned recognition from the AMA’s Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program have demonstrated that the well-being of health professionals is essential to caring for the health and wellness of patients, families and communities,” said AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., MD. “United by a commitment to build a culture of wellness that energizes care teams, the recipients of the Joy in Medicine Recognition are at the forefront and among the best at creating a workplace that makes a difference in the lives of clinical caregivers.”
A 2021 report based on research led by the AMA shows that “feeling valued by one’s organization was strongly associated with lower stress” and serves as a protective factor against work-related physician burnout. This important finding has paved the way for many organizations to re-examine how leadership, culture, peer support, and removing obstacles to patient care act together to create the conditions where joy, purpose and meaning in medicine are possible. This year’s Joy in Medicine recipients have all taken important steps to support physician well-being for the long term.
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health was honored for its ongoing efforts to promote clinicians’ professional and personal of well-being, which are led by a formalized Well-Being Committee comprised of clinicians, leaders and staff. The committee’s initiatives are based on the three components of the Stanford Model of Professional Fulfillment: Practice Efficiency, Culture of Wellness and Personal Resilience. The committee’s focus includes efforts to reduce administrative burdens for clinicians, improve efficiency of the electronic medical record, facilitate collegiality networking events, and support staff members who have experienced distressing or traumatic workplace events.
The AMA began the Joy in Medicine Recognition Program in 2019 to create momentum for wide-spanning change in the culture of medicine that emphasizes professional well-being in health care. This year, 28 health systems nationwide earned recognition, representing more than 80,000 physicians, with documented efforts to reduce system-level drivers of work-related burnout and demonstrated competencies in commitment, assessment, leadership, efficiency of practice environment, teamwork, and support. This year’s recipients join over 50 organizations representing more than 120,000 physicians, recognized by the program since its inception in 2019.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Marcie Brody
Marcie.brody@pennmedicine.upenn.edu