WASHINGTON (May 1, 2024) - Burnout and moral injury are on the rise among health workers, and the consequences are devastating to patients and practitioners alike. In an effort to confront this growing threat to the US healthcare system, and to offer early solutions, a new podcast series launched today.

Led by the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at the George Washington University in partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Moral Injury of Healthcare, and AFT Healthcare, the Workplace Change Collaborative released the six-part series: Confronting Burnout and Moral Injury in Healthcare.

The Workplace Change Collaborative is a HRSA-funded technical assistance center based at the Mullan Institute working to capture evidence-based practices, tools and resources related to reducing burnout and promoting wellness in the health and public safety workforce. The Workplace Change Collaborative also supports the 44 grantees funded by HRSA to implement interventions to address burnout and improve mental health among the health workforce.

The goal of the podcast is to identify the drivers and consequences of burnout and moral injury among health workers, outline practical strategies to improve their well-being, empower those looking for change, point listeners towards the Workplace Change Collaborative’s national framework and offer actionable strategies on this topic. 

“We are excited to take the listeners on this journey,” said Patricia (Polly) Pittman, director of the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. “By launching this series, we hope to illustrate key areas for addressing burnout and moral injury among our healthcare workers. Taking care of the people who take care of us is not only essential for the wellbeing of health workers, it is critical to ensuring access and high quality healthcare.”

In this limited six-part series, host Wendy Dean, MD, CEO and cofounder of Moral Injury of Healthcare, guides listeners through conversations with guests from around the country with expertise in the many topics the Workplace Change Collaborative addresses including:

• Why burnout and moral injury are getting the attention of the US government, and why people should care about the well-being of our health workers.

• The impact burnout and moral injury have on health workers and those they serve. 

• How we can empower this vital workforce, create change on an organizational level, and support leaders in those spaces.

• Ways that patients, health workers, or policy makers can advocate for change.

The podcast series is available on Apple, Audible, iHeart Radio and Spotify. Listen to the podcast trailer here.

If you would like to schedule an interview to learn more about healthcare burnout, moral injury in healthcare and the podcast, please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn.deckelbaum@gwu.edu.