• Tricia T James, Robert Hudon, Todd Merrick, Lisa Olson, Douglas Hanes, and James M Scanlan.
• Department of Medical Education, Providence Portland Medical Center, 5050 NE Hoyt Suite 540, Portland, OR, 97213, USA. Tricia.James@providence.org.
• J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Apr 1; 38 (5): 125612631256-1263.

BackgroundPhysician burnout increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal workplace intervention designed to reduce hospitalist burnout.DesignParticipants and setting: Our intervention group was composed of internal medicine hospitalists at Providence Portland Medical Center (64 providers including 58 physicians and 6 nurse practitioners). Our control was composed of internal medicine hospitalists at Providence St Vincent's Hospital (59 physicians and 6 nurse practitioners).MeasurementsTwo surveys were given during, before, and after a 12-month intervention period (October 2020 and again in October 2021). Surveys included demographics, job satisfaction, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Pandemic Experiences Survey, and 2 questions about leaving the job.InterventionsThree hospitalists designated as wellness warriors created weekly COVID group meetings, providing up-to-date information about COVID-19 infection rates, treatments, and work-flow changes. Discussions included coping and vaccine hesitancy, difficult case debriefs, and intensive care unit updates. Individual coaching was also offered. Meeting minutes were taken and sessions were recorded for asynchronous access.ResultsNo site differences in burnout or job satisfaction were evident pre-intervention. Post-intervention, the intervention group reported 32% burnout while controls reported 56% (p = .024). Forty-eight percent of the intervention group reported high wellness support vs. 0% of the controls (< .001). Intervention participants attributed 44% of wellness support to Providence alone, vs. controls at 12% (< .001). Regressions controlling sex, work hours, experience, race, and children in the home showed the intervention's positive effects on burnout and job satisfaction remained significant (all p < .02).LimitationsFor privacy reasons, all survey responses were anonymous, meaning that individual pre-post changes could not be tracked.ConclusionWe believe the intervention resulted in substantial burnout prevention and is feasible for adoption in most hospitals and clinics.© 2023. The Author(s).

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