RENTON, Wash. [July 15, 2026] — Clinician burnout can be successfully addressed with empowerment and well-being leadership development training, according to a recent Providence study published in BMC Health Services Research.
The study focused on the results of a 21-clinician cohort after completing a 15-month well-being leadership development training program, called the Clinician Wellness Council. The clinicians participated in focus groups to share their experiences and perceptions of the impact of the program on their well-being leadership development, including their knowledge, insight, and mindset toward addressing workplace burnout.
Participants of the study reported:
“To me, clinician burnout is a massive problem,” said Tricia James, M.D., director of Clinician Experience, Providence Medical Group Oregon. “About half of all clinicians are burned out. It peaked during COVID and it’s come down a bit, but the rates still average 45% with significant variability across specialties and groups.”
That’s a problem not just for clinicians, but also for patients and the cost to healthcare organizations, she said.
“The evidence shows that 80% of burnout is driven by workplace variables — and they’re going to be very different between a primary care clinic and the emergency department,” Dr. James said. “We developed the Clinician Wellness Council to empower clinicians to identify workplace stressors within their sphere of control and then develop interventions to address them.”
The first cohort began in September 2023 with 20 doctors and one nurse practitioner across Oregon, Washington and Montana. The majority were practicing front line clinicians without formal leadership roles.
The program included monthly large-group education sessions and small-group coaching sessions. Topics included effective communication, gathering high-yield information, meeting facilitation practices, effective advocacy, navigating conflict and understanding spheres of control, influence and concern.
A prior quantitative study co-authored by Dr. James and published in Healthcare found a significant decrease in burnout for clinicians who participated in the leadership training program, dropping from 47% to 13%.
Focus groups allowed Dr. James and her team to expand on this research and capture rich insights about the participant experience. Qualitative findings suggest that participating clinicians felt a greater sense of control over their work situation and more empowered to lead interventions to address their teams’ burnout.
“The groups that our cohort brought this work back to, showed improvement in emotional exhaustion specifically, which is one of the biggest aspects of burnout,” Dr. James said.
Given these successes, Dr. James and her team started a second cohort, which will conclude in 2027. This cohort includes clinicians with and without leadership positions.
“We've also taken on more well-being leadership development for other leaders outside of this program,” Dr. James said. “We’re seeing the impact of leadership development, both for the leaders themselves, but also for their teams.”
About the Author
More Content by Providence News Team
