Penn
Medicine Lancaster General Health honored by American Medical Association for
promoting well-being of health-care workers
Oct. 13, 2022 -- 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.
