Permanente Medical Groups recognized by AMA for addressing physician wellness and burnout

Addressing physician burnout begins with a commitment by leadership to champion and promote physician wellness. The physician-led Permanente Medical Groups have developed a culture that proactively tackles physician wellness through innovative programs. These efforts have been recognized with significant accolades.

This year, The Permanente Medical Group, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, Washington Permanente Medical Group, The Southeast Permanente Medical Group, and Northwest Permanente were honored by the American Medical Association’s 2025 Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program.

Joy in Medicine: A commitment to physician wellness

To receive AMA Joy in Medicine recognition, a medical group must complete a self-assessment and submit supporting documentation. They are then evaluated based on their organizational achievements and efforts across 6 competency areas:

• Assessment
• Commitment
• Efficiency of Practice Environment
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Support

Wellness-centered physician leadership

In Northern California, The Permanente Medical Group’s efforts start at the top, driven by two leaders who collaborate across the organization to set wellness priorities: Ellie Farahabadi, MD, associate executive director, who oversees physician wellness, human resources, physician recruitment, and physician education and development, and Amanjot Sethi, MD, director of wellness operations.

“The aspirational goal is for all leaders to have the chief wellness officer mentality,” said Dr. Sethi. “In each department and team, we should be thinking about how our operational decisions can enable us to take excellent care of patients while also supporting the people delivering that care.”

Related physician wellness podcast: “PermanenteDocs Chat on the intersection of technology and clinician wellness”

Developing physician leaders at every career stage

Along with wellness as a strategy, Permanente Medical Groups champion physicians who can bring clinical insights into leadership, a pillar of the Joy in Medicine program. This creates an opportunity for physicians to shape the culture of an organization while directly understanding the workload challenges of practicing medicine today.

To help strategically guide physicians looking to lead, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group adopted a “hire to retire” program to offer leadership development opportunities at four different career stages.

“At every leadership stage, we are led by physicians,” said Ameya Kulkarni, MD, associate medical director at MAPMG. “That is a really important part of this physician leadership journey and also in terms of things like protecting physicians from burnout because it really forces that thoughtful balance of physician needs, patient needs, and the system needs.”

Equipping leaders with a wellness lens

An estimated physician shortage and increasing demands on services are also driving health care leaders to look at issues through a wellness lens. This means considering how new protocols, technologies, and other changes impact the workforce.

To promote this approach, Washington Permanente Medical Group offers Wellness Centered Leadership and onboarding programs, well-being workshops, retreats, and team-building sessions to its leaders and teams. These initiatives are designed to strengthen leadership skills and address burnout risks.

Related physician wellness story: “Dr. Parodi on harnessing innovation to improve health care access, physician wellness”

“The broader goal is to really encourage all leaders to apply that wellness lens to a policy decision they’re making or a process that is being changed or implemented and think about how it is going to impact the well-being of our people,” said Mary Pan, MD, chief wellness officer.

Doing the right work in a team-based environment

At The Southeast Permanente Medical Group (TSPMG), building collaborative unit-based teams and ensuring everyone works within their appropriate scope is key. A gap analysis in 2023–2024 helped standardize roles, enabling physicians and nurses to focus on their strengths and deliver optimal care together.

This initiative led to the formation of teams comprising physicians, supported by nurses, medical assistants, and other health care professionals who undertake tasks such as updating patient charts prior to physician review. By reducing the administrative burden for physicians and collaboratively addressing operational challenges, TSPMG demonstrates that team-based care is integral to delivering high-quality health care and promoting workforce retention.

“It’s really centered around process improvement, and it’s also centered around making our place of work the best place to work, helping us to deliver the highest quality in patient care and improving affordability in patient care as well,” said Nikki Baker, MD, associate medical director for people and culture.

Supporting each other in challenging work

Addressing burnout in a challenging specialty like oncology is critical for care teams. “Cancer is rewarding in the work that we do with patients, but it also can take a toll on all physicians and the teams that take care of patients,” says Tasha McDonald, MD, Northwest Permanente Cancer Center chief of radiation oncology and associate medical director.

Addressing burnout in a challenging specialty like oncology is critical for care teams. “Cancer is rewarding in the work that we do with patients, but it also can take a toll on all physicians and the teams that take care of patients,” says Tasha McDonald, MD, Northwest Permanente Cancer Center chief of radiation oncology and associate medical director.

Related physician burnout podcast: Addressing physician burnout and wellness

The Center made wellness a priority by establishing a wellness advisory committee, peer support program, and daily huddles to encourage teamwork and ensure mutual support. Additionally, the Northwest Permanente Cancer Center worked to reduce physician burden through a robust nurse navigator program, nurses and medical assistants who can help with in-baskets and patient communication, and a trial project to engage community health workers for patient social needs.

The Joy in Medicine recognitions reflect a commitment to improving the well-being of Permanente physicians, ensuring that they have support and resources they need to thrive professionally and personally.

You can read the full list of 2025 honorees on the AMA’s website.