Before the COVID-19 pandemic, New Orleans-based Ochsner Health's chief wellness officer, Nigel Girgrah, MD, PhD, launched an initiative to battle burnout at the health organization, bringing employee engagement from the 50th percentile to the 95th, according to a May 16 report from the American Medical Association.
Here are the six key ways that Dr. Girgrah is working to combat burnout at Ochsner, per the AMA:
1. Giving leaders the right training. A survey of Ochsner employees showed that burnout rates are lower when workers feel as though leaders will keep them safe and support them in their work. Hold leadership programs to aid leaders in understanding what has shaped their belief systems and biases, and helps them develop a plan to change those biases.
2. Including all leadership levels. By bringing in physicians and other health professionals who do not hold formal leadership roles, employees feel an increased sense of value. 3. Assessing organizational commitment. Track burnout and create a joy in medicine score to see how well implemented measures are working.
4. Cutting inbox volume. Help employees to create enhanced workflow efficiency and less documentation outside of work. Ochsner managed to establish a pharmacy refill center, removing 70 percent of refill requests from physician inboxes.
5. Advocating for healthcare workers. Advocate for workers through piloting initiatives. If there is controversy within the organization, use it to draft legislation and inspire other organizations, instead of hiding from mistakes and problems.
6. Addressing high-impact specialties. Focus on protecting the most hard-hit specialties from burnout. Identify high-impact areas and target them.