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. 2024 May 1;30(3):192-199.
doi: 10.1097/PRA.0000000000000782.

A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing the Burnout Crisis Among US Health Care Workers: The Houston Methodist Experience

Katelynn A Bourassa  1 , Jessica C Rohr  1 , Nicole Bartek  1 , Susan M Miller  2 , Stephanie Jones Wood  3 , Namrata N Vasquez  1 , John Head  4 , Segundo Robert-Ibarra  5 , Kula Moore  1 , Kate Marder  1 , Diana Freeland  1 , Laura Matthews  6 , Benjamin L Weinstein  1 , Alok Madan  7   8
Affiliations

A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing the Burnout Crisis Among US Health Care Workers: The Houston Methodist Experience

Katelynn A Bourassa et al. J Psychiatr Pract. .

Abstract

Health care workers experience high rates of burnout and psychiatric distress. A large health care system in the southwest United States developed a comprehensive mental health service model for employees. Services offered range from traditional benefits (eg, Employee Assistance Program), resiliency and well-being initiatives, and innovative technology solutions, to access to peer support services for professional practice issues. The latest innovation in services is a free, self-insured outpatient mental health clinic designed exclusively for health care workers and their dependents. In this article, the authors describe the development of expanded mental health programming for health care workers and discuss how this unique service model proactively reduces common barriers to the receipt of high-quality care. This approach to caring for the workforce may serve as a model for other health care organizations across the United States. By providing mental health support to employees, health care organizations are mitigating the risk of burnout and related consequences to the system.

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Conflict of interest statement

K.B. and J.R. report funding from the Chao Foundation for salary support, and S.M.M. reports funding from the Chao Foundation for academic activities. B.L.W. reports stock/stock options in Mindbloom. B.L.W. is the C. James and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Centennial at Houston Methodist. A.M. reports funding from the Houston Methodist Foundation for financial support for research personnel. A.M. is the John S. Dunn Foundation Distinguished Centennial Clinical Academic Scholar in Behavioral Health at Houston Methodist. J.H. reports funding for salary support from the Center for Performing Arts Medicine at Houston Methodist. J.R. reports a grant from the Constance M. and Byron F. Dyer Fellowship. N.V. reports a grant from the Constance M. and Byron F. Dyer Fellowship. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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