Hackensack Meridian Health Recognized by American Medical Association for Promoting Well-Being of Health Care Workers

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, is proud to announce it has been recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) as a “Joy in Medicine™” organization. The prestigious AMA distinction is granted only to organizations that attest to the rigorous criteria of the Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program and demonstrate a commitment to preserving the well-being of clinical care team members through proven efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout.

“About 1 in 5 health care workers in the nation have left their job since the start of the pandemic,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. “That is why at Hackensack Meridian Health, we are deeply committed to supporting the health and well-being of our front-line teams who are the backbone of our organization. Our world-class team members are integral to ensuring that we can continue to deliver high-quality, compassionate care to the patients and communities we serve, and we are grateful to the American Medical Association for this recognition.”

Burnout rates among the nation’s physicians and other health care professionals spiked dramatically as the COVID-19 pandemic placed acute stress on care teams and exacerbated long-standing system issues. While the worst days of the pandemic have past, the lingering impact of work-related burnout remains an obstacle to achieving national health goals.

Hackensack Meridian Health has implemented a proactive, robust and comprehensive strategy to support team member wellness and retention, including the following:

• Chief wellness officer position created in January 2020 to help address staff well-being, including physician and clinician burnout. 
• Decreased clerical burden for clinicians through a "Dump the Junk" campaign that reduces needless clicks and alerts within the electronic health record. This campaign has resulted in a 48% reduction in interruptive alerts, saving 2225 person-hours per month.
• Expanded our peer support program, WeCare, and created on-location “safe spaces” so clinical teams can de-stress with professionals from mental health teams, treating more than 1,500 team members in the last two years from across the health system.  In addition, expanded the team member assistance program to include a 24/7 hotline.
• In response to escalating incivility and disrespect as well as physical and verbal assault occurring across the healthcare industry, we developed a network-level anti-violence committee that aims to raise awareness about workplace violence and incivility in a transparent manner to inform integrated strategy, improvement efforts, and allocation of resources. Our vision is that all people will be safe, secure, protected and have a meaningful experience at HMH.
• Developed a Physician Leadership Academy that provides physicians with a unique opportunity to further develop their skills and competencies as evolving physician leaders.

“Health organizations that have earned recognition from the AMA’s Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program are leading a national movement that has declared the well-being of health professionals to be an essential element for providing high-quality care to patients, families, and communities,” said AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H. “Each Joy in Medicine recognized organization is distinguished as among the nation’s best at creating a culture of wellness that makes a difference in the lives of clinical care teams.”

"The goal of the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program is to unite the health care community in building a nationwide culture committed to the well-being of clinical care teams by helping health organizations invest in action plans promoting professional fulfillment and meaning that clinicians find in caring for their patients,” said Christine Sinsky, M.D., AMA vice president of professional satisfaction.

“Hackensack Meridian Health is dedicated to investing in our workforce, promoting a positive culture and ensuring the wellbeing of our team members to prevent burn out,” said Amy Frieman, M.D., MBA, FAAHPM, president, Physician Alliance, Hackensack Meridian Health. “This recognition from the American Medical Association reflects our commitment to improving care for not only our team members, but our patients.”

Hackensack Meridian Health earned a Great Place to Work® Certification based on feedback from our team members. The network was recently named to Becker’s Hospital Review Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare 2023 for the sixth consecutive year. DiversityInc also recognized the network for the third year in a row for its commitment to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture.

Since its inception in 2019, the Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program has recognized more than 100 organizations across the country. In 2023, a total of 72 health systems nationwide earned recognition 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.

To view the full American Medical Association (AMA) Joy in Medicine™ list, click here.

Learn more about the AMA Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program at www.ama-assn.org/joyinmedicine.