Virtua Health, South Jersey’s largest health system, has earned a prestigious national award for addressing physician burnout. The Marlton, N.J.-based institution has been named a 2025 Joy in Medicine^® organization by the American Medical Association (AMA).

Virtua is among just three New Jersey organizations and three in the Greater Philadelphia Region to receive this honor from the country’s leading physicians’ association. The award recognizes health systems, hospitals, and medical groups that use proven methods to reduce burnout and enhance doctors’ professional fulfillment in providing patient care.

“As a health system dedicated to creating outstanding experiences for everybody, always, it is especially gratifying to be recognized for caring for our frontline physician workforce,” said Dr. Jennifer Khelil, Virtua’s executive vice president and chief clinical officer. “Our 3,000 clinicians routinely go above and beyond for our patients, and it is only fitting that we do all we can to ensure their well-being.”

Organizations that meet the rigorous criteria of the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program are leaders in the national effort to transform healthcare work systems and address the root causes of burnout among care teams, the AMA stated.

Physician burnout is a long‑term stress reaction that can harm the well-being of doctors and, consequently, have a negative impact on the delivery of patient care. The condition affects all specialties and all practice settings, according to the AMA.

Burnout among U.S. physicians peaked at 62.8% in 2021 during the Covid pandemic, research shows. But thanks to strides in addressing burnout at the system level, the national physician burnout rate ebbed to 45.2% in 2023. Despite improvements, physician burnout levels remain much higher than those of other U.S. workers. Continued efforts are essential to ensure doctors receive the support they need to thrive and achieve national health goals.

Reducing physician burnout can lead to an array of positive changes. These can include greater patient satisfaction, higher quality of care, reduced medical errors, better staff morale, and improved staff recruitment and retention.

“At Virtua, our culture is based on valuing each person and providing opportunities for every individual to thrive – from our patients to our 15,000 colleagues,” said Rhonda Jordan, Virtua’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer. “Meeting the AMA’s Joy in Medicine criteria validates that we take good care of our caregivers.”

AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, noted: “Joy in Medicine-recognized organizations are leading the gains made against the physician burnout crisis and help clinicians rediscover the deep rewards and joy that comes from helping patients. The AMA distinction honors each organization’s commitment to not only the health and well-being of the care team, but also to patients. Quality care ultimately originates from a positive and purposeful work culture where health care professionals can flourish both mentally and physically.”

How Virtua is Easing Physician Burnout
Virtua uses a range of initiatives to help prevent and reduce physician burnout. One program, for example, decreased doctors’ time spent on electronic health records outside of their designated work hours by offering technology solutions to streamline time-consuming tasks. As a result, Virtua saw a 16.9% reduction in its physicians’ “work outside of work hours” from the end of 2023 to the end of 2024.

Other efforts include:

• Regularly scheduled surveys of Virtua doctors to measure burnout rates and gather feedback, plus a “listening campaign” for physicians to speak directly with key leaders about these issues.
• An HR-based Well-Being Team offering programs to enhance wellness and provide mental-health support, from webinars to social activities, support groups to chair massages.
• A physician-driven Clinician Wellness Committee that develops strategies to enhance clinicians’ experience and address sources of burnout.
• A peer support program that offers structured conversations with a Virtua colleague who is trained to give confidential and empathetic support, provide coping strategies, make connections and share additional resources.
• A work environment aimed at enabling doctors to deliver optimal patient care while feeling supported in their work/life harmony.
• Routine discussion of physician burnout with Virtua’s board of trustees in order to address the issue at the organization’s highest levels.
• Engaging Virtua’s workforce in an ongoing program called Practicing Excellence, which focuses on relationship-building, communication, empathy, and support for one another.

Virtua, a not-for-profit, academic health system, operates five hospitals and more than 400 care sites across southern New Jersey. The organization is recognized as a best place to work by Newsweek, Modern Healthcare, and Forbes, among others.

About the Joy in Medicine Program
The Joy of Medicine recognition is based on organizational achievement and effort in six competency areas:

• Assessment: Measuring physician well-being and burnout is critical to understanding and addressing system issues.
• Commitment: An organization-wide commitment to workforce well-being is essential to preventing burnout within an organization.
• Efficiency of practice environment: Operational efficiency is key to supporting well-being. Workflow and technology inefficiencies – in addition to documentation requirements – play a central role in driving burnout among physicians.
• Teamwork: Effective teamwork can have a tremendous impact on the overall well-being of physicians and care teams.
• Leadership: Leadership behaviors set the foundation of organizational culture, a primary indicator of organizational well-being.
• Support: Cultivating connections at work is an important means to driving professional satisfaction.

Since its inception in 2019, the AMA’s Joy in Medicine Program has recognized more than 200 organizations across the country. This year, 109 institutions nationwide earned the designation, which lasts for two years.

“Organizations that earned 2025-2026 recognition join a strong group of currently recognized organizations from the 2024-2025 program, bringing the currently recognized cohort to 164 recognized organizations,” the AMA stated.

Learn more at ama-assn.org/joyinmedicine.