Seven VA health care facilities recognized by AMA for efforts to reduce physician burnout

The AMA’s Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program is a national initiative that gives health care systems a structured, evidence‑informed framework for reducing physician burnout and promoting physician well‑being, and then publicly recognizes organizations that put those strategies in place. Health systems voluntarily apply and must show, with documentation, that they meet detailed criteria across six “pillars” the AMA says drive physician well‑being:

• Assessment – routinely measuring physician burnout and well‑being with validated tools and using those data to guide system‑level changes.
• Commitment – visible organizational commitment to workforce well‑being (for example, formal wellness committees, a chief wellness officer role, or including well‑being in the strategic plan).
• Efficiency of Practice Environment – improving workflows, technology, documentation and other operational issues that create unnecessary work.
• Teamwork – building effective team‑based care structures that reduce stress and improve job satisfaction.
• Leadership – developing and assessing leaders on behaviors that support staff well‑being and a healthy culture.
• Support – providing peer support and connection programs (such as buddy systems, small groups, or peer support teams).

Recognized organizations may earn bronze, silver or gold levels depending on how fully they meet criteria in these domains; recognition lasts two years and is based on documented processes and programs, not on an AMA judgment about quality of patient care or guaranteed high physician satisfaction.

Within VA, Chief Well‑Being Officers (sometimes called chief wellness officers) are local leaders charged with identifying and addressing systemic causes of burnout and promoting clinician well‑being at their facilities. There is no single public, system‑wide job description spelling out formal powers, but VA and facility materials describe common responsibilities:

• Assessing burnout and well‑being among clinicians (often using surveys) and helping leadership interpret results.
• Leading or co‑leading well‑being or “joy in practice” initiatives, often under VA’s “High Reliability Organization” and employee whole‑health frameworks.
• Working with hospital leadership to redesign workflows, reduce inefficiencies and administrative burdens, and support team‑based care (mirroring the AMA Joy in Medicine pillars).
• Coordinating peer‑support and colleague‑support programs for staff after stressful events or ongoing workplace stress.
• Serving as a point person or champion for physician and staff well‑being when the facility pursues external recognitions such as the AMA Joy in Medicine program.

These roles are advisory and programmatic rather than regulatory; CWOs influence practice and policy through leadership teams and committees rather than by issuing orders on their own authority.

The seven VA facilities were chosen through the AMA’s standard Joy in Medicine recognition process, which is application‑based rather than a surprise external inspection.

According to the AMA, any eligible health system can seek recognition by:

• Submitting an “Intent to Apply” form, then a full application on behalf of the organization, approved by executive leadership.
• Attesting that they meet the Joy in Medicine criteria and providing detailed supporting documentation.
• Undergoing review by an AMA panel that determines whether the criteria are met and at what recognition level (bronze, silver or gold).

VA’s own description of VA Boston’s award notes that it “earned silver‑level recognition” by meeting the Joy in Medicine program’s “rigorous criteria,” confirming that at least that VA site participated in this application‑and‑review process. There is no indication that the AMA independently selected the seven VA facilities without their participation; rather, they appear among the broader group of organizations that voluntarily applied and were approved.

The Joy in Medicine recognition itself does not certify that burnout has fallen by a specific percentage at the recognized sites, and the VA’s news release does not publish burnout metrics for the seven VA facilities.

The AMA explains that Joy in Medicine recognition is based on whether organizations have put in place specific structures, processes and programs across six pillars (assessment, commitment, efficiency, teamwork, leadership, support), verified through documentation and review. It is not presented as an endorsement of outcomes such as patient safety, care quality, or uniformly high physician satisfaction.

VA Boston’s article about its own silver‑level award references national research showing that U.S. physician burnout fell from about 63% in 2021 to about 45% in 2023, but that is national survey data, not site‑specific proof of reductions at VA Boston or the other VA facilities. No publicly available sources provide detailed before‑and‑after burnout rates or similar quantitative results for each of the seven recognized VA hospitals.

In this VA release, “physician burnout” is not formally defined in VA’s own words, but the research it cites and related AMA materials use the standard occupational‑health meaning: a work‑related syndrome involving emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (cynicism or detachment from patients), and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment.

The VA news release links to a 2025 Mayo Clinic Proceedings study of U.S. physicians, which reports that:

• Physician burnout peaked at 62.8% in 2021 and fell to 45.2% in 2023.
• Even after this improvement, physicians were still significantly more likely to report burnout than other U.S. workers, after adjusting for age, sex, and work hours.

The AMA’s summary of the same study likewise notes that, despite the recent decline, U.S. physicians “remain at higher risk for burnout relative to other U.S. workers.” These data underlie VA’s statement that research shows burnout remains higher among physicians than among other American workers.

Doug Collins is the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a Cabinet‑level official who leads the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as the 12th Secretary of Veterans Affairs on February 5, 2025.

As VA Secretary, his responsibilities include overall leadership and direction of the department’s health care, benefits and cemetery programs, and setting priorities and policies that affect the VA workforce. That includes:

• Overseeing the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which runs VA hospitals and clinics and employs VA’s clinicians.
• Approving or championing department‑wide initiatives to improve employee well‑being, such as supporting VA’s use of Chief Well‑Being Officers and broader “whole health” and workplace‑culture efforts.

Thus, when the press release quotes him on reducing physician burnout and improving the VA work environment, he is speaking in his role as the top official ultimately responsible for VA’s employee‑well‑being strategies and resources.