We Received National Recognition for Physician Well-being

Kim Butterfield (L), director of well-being, Dr. Lisa Uherick (R), Carilion Pediatric Emergency physician and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine's chief well-being officer

Our organization has been nationally recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) as a Joy in Medicine organization. This honor highlights health systems that are tackling the root causes of burnout and fostering professional fulfillment for physicians.

We earned a bronze-level award for 2025–2026, joining 109 organizations nationwide, following a rigorous application process. 

To qualify, organizations must meet at least 5 of 6 criteria, including completing a burnout assessment, establishing a formal well-being committee or office, and measuring and evaluating efficiency, teamwork, leadership and support programs. Dr. Lisa Uherick, Carilion Pediatric Emergency physician and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine's chief well-being officer, and Kim Butterfield, director of well-being, led the application process and have been instrumental in the work.

“We are making meaningful strides to enhance joy at work, not only for physicians but for all clinical employees, and we remain committed to building on that progress,” said Dr. Tony Seupaul, chief physician executive. “When our caregivers feel supported and fulfilled, it not only strengthens their well-being but also leads to better care experiences and improved outcomes for our patients.”

As part of the application requirements, at least 30% of attending physicians must complete the AMA survey; we exceeded that benchmark with a 75% response rate, underscoring our physicians’ commitment to advancing well-being and sharing their ideas. Guided by this feedback, the Carilion and VTCSOM well-being committee developed tailored goals for each department. 

We were also recognized for addressing workflow and documentation burdens.

There are several ongoing projects to measure and improve physicians' experience within the electronic health record. These include: 

• Caring for Virginia's Caregivers Collaborative project, in partnership with the Lorna Breen Foundation, to address ordering friction.
• The rollout and expansion of DAX, an AI tool, to ease documentation processes.
• Improving our requirements for APP co-signatures to streamline processes.

We provided additional evidence of the successful impact of the TRUST team as a mechanism for peer support with plans to expand support services next year. 

“The Joy in Medicine recognition offered us a roadmap of well-being best practices,” said Niki Hale, vice president of Wellness. “It celebrates the meaningful progress our well-being team has made and inspires us to keep pushing forward, so every caregiver feels supported, valued and able to thrive in their work.”