Valley Medical Center honored by AMA for promoting well-being of health care workers
Renton, WA (October 13, 2022) -- Valley Medical Center has earned recognition today 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.
“Valley could not fulfill our mission of caring for our community like family without the faithful dedication of our physicians and advanced practice practitioners,” said Ron Cohen, MD, Medical Director for Clinician Wellness at Valley. “We thank them for all that they do to care for our patients as we continue to do all we can to care for them in return.”
Dr. Cohen started our Clinician Wellness Program seven years ago. Our program includes a Professional Satisfaction and Wellness Committee, recognition celebrations, a peer support line, participation in conferences for physician health, and personal finance workshops. Valley joins the ranks of prominent, large health systems like Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and the Mayo Clinic in our commitment to the well-being of our physicians and advanced practice practitioners.
“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., M.D. “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.
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.