"I am proud that the NAM is leading the movement," Dr. Dzau continued, "and that it is gathering a lot of momentum through the Change Maker Campaign. Hundreds of organizations aligning towards this singular cause will be a significant source of change."
Everyone is affected by the health worker burnout crisis, and everyone can play a role in ending it, from health institutions to members of the public. Health care and other institutional leaders can make a difference by committing to establishing well-being as a long-term value. Policymakers are encouraged to prevent and reduce the unnecessary burdens that stem from laws, regulations, policies, and standards placed on health workers. Health workers are invited to catalyze their institutions to accelerate their well-being efforts. Members of the public can foster partnerships, trust, and mutual respect together with their health providers. Acting together will build recognition that prioritizing health workforce well-being is essential for health workers, patients, and the nation.
More details on how health leaders, policymakers, health workers, and patients can participate in Health Workforce Well-Being Day, as well as take further next steps in the movement are available at: nam.edu/HWWBDay.
In 2022, the NAM Collaborative published the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being, calling for identified actors to strengthen the health workforce’s well-being and restore the health of the nation. The Health Workforce Well-Being Day will further the priorities of the National Plan and provide a regular opportunity for collective action.
“This day reminds us that we all have a role to play in tackling the health worker burnout crisis, and we can no longer sit on the sidelines,” said U.S. Surgeon General and NAM Collaborative Co-Chair Dr. Vivek Murthy. “Confronting the long-standing drivers of burnout among our health workers must be a top national priority because our nation’s health depends on the well-being of our health workforce.”
"Our entire health care system benefits when we prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of health workers," said NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard. "Fortunately, there are evidence-informed resources like our Impact Wellbeing TM campaign that health systems can use to accelerate or supplement their efforts toward ensuring the well-being of their workers. These tools help leaders drive sustainable, operational level systems change in their hospitals."
The Health Workforce Well-Being Day is March 18, the anniversary of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act being signed into law. The act aims to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions among health professionals.
"Across the country, day after day, our health workers care for all of us, yet they endure an incredible toll on their own well-being because of how our health care system operates," said Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation CEO Corey Feist, JD, MBA. "It will take all of us taking immediate and ongoing action to build a system where health workers can thrive, including policymakers who have the ability to reduce administrative burden for health workers everywhere."
About the Burnout Crisis
Health workforce well-being is essential to ensuring health professionals are able to provide high-quality, personalized, and respectful patient care. Health workers have been increasingly strained by their work environments, and as the pressures put on our health workers increase, anxiety, depression, burnout, and overall dissatisfaction have skyrocketed. Health worker well-being is one of the greatest threats to our health care system: it’s estimated that burnout costs the U.S. health care system at least $4.6 billion annually, and in 2023, nearly half of health workers reported often feeling burned out, up from a third in 2018. A healthy workforce means healthy patients and communities.
About the Change Maker Campaign
Over 350 organizations have signed up to be NAM Change Makers by committing to making health worker well-being a long-term value. This commitment is a top priority outlined in the National Plan. The inaugural cohort of Change Makers was featured at the NAM’s celebratory event on March 11, and organizations are invited to sign up on a rolling basis. The NAM Collaborative will continue to highlight Change Makers’ important progress.
About the NAM Clinician Well-Being Collaborative
The NAM’s Clinician Well-Being Collaborative is a network of leaders and representatives of many major health organizations and health systems across the United States. The Collaborative is co-chaired by Dr. Dzau; Dr. Murthy; Pamela Cipriano, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, 29th President, International Council of Nurses and Past Dean, University of Virginia School of Nursing, Thomas J. Nasca, M.D., MACP; President and CEO of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; and Darrell G. Kirch, MD, President Emeritus of the Association of American Medical Colleges. All Collaborative members are founding partners of the Health Workforce Well-Being Day. Since 2017, the Collaborative has identified evidence-based strategies to improve clinician well-being at both the individual and systems levels. Learn more about the NAM Collaborative at nam.edu/ClinicianWellBeing. Register to receive updates at bit.ly/NAMListserv. For questions, contact ClinicianWellBeing@nas.edu.
