The Office of Professional Well-Being

Helping you take care of you

With increased demands on time, resources and energy, healthcare professionals and physicians are feeling more burned out than ever. The Office of Professional Well-Being at Ochsner was created to improve the well-being of Ochsner’s workforce and employees.

Ochsner is the first healthcare system in Louisiana to establish a department dedicated to the wellness of its workforce. As a leader in innovating healthcare, we aim to improve the well-being and engagement of provider teams. At Ochsner Health, we help our patients, community, employees and providers achieve wellness. The Office of Professional Well-Being's goal is to help our workforce find the resources to stay connected, reclaim joy and find balance.

Ochsner will continue providing high-quality, accessible and compassionate healthcare for our patients. The success of our patients is determined by the wellness of our team. 

Awards and Accolades

Ochsner Health’s Office of Professional Well-Being has maintained recognition for “Joy in Medicine” by the American Medical Association since the inception of the department in 2019. OPW has been recognized since 2021 at the highest level of commitment and investment in improving the well-being of our workforce and employees.

More details here.

In January 2022, Ochsner Health was awarded $2.9 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), as part of a competitive grant process designed to “improve the retention of health care workers and help respond to the nation’s critical staffing needs by reducing burnout and promoting mental health and wellness among the health care workforce.” Learn more here.

Our Team

For more information, email the Office of Professional Well-Being at wellbeing@ochsner.org.

In the News

• American Medical Association - December 21, 2023
  “From Pharmacy To IT, Ochsner Health Uses Teamwork To Beat Burnout”
• American Hospital Association – October 27, 2023
  "Leading With Empathy: Workforce Well-being at Ochsner Health"
• American Association for Physician Leadership – Sept. 8, 2022
  "Archetypes of Burned-Out Physicians and How To Help Them"
  
• American Medical Association – Aug. 9, 2022
  “How Ochsner Health created culture to support physician well-being
• American Medical Association – Jan. 28, 2022
  “Nigel Girgrah, MD, PhD, on well-being and top stressors physicians are facing”
• BizNewOrleans - Dec. 17, 2021
  "Even Health, Ochsner Partner to Support Healthcare Professionals During Holidays”
• American Medical Association Press Release – Oct. 7, 2021
  “AMA recognizes health systems that care for the caregivers”
• Advisory Board - April 23, 2021
  “How Ochsner Health's structured debriefs promote recovery during a crisis”

Mental Wellness

Learn about ongoing initiatives related to wellness and mental health and well-being at Ochsner as we work toward creating an organizational culture of well-being.

Professional Experience Program

The Professional Experience Program is a resource for employed physicians and advanced practice providers who may be suffering from symptoms of burnout. The Professional Experience Program helps clinicians identify the root causes of sub-optimal work experiences and works to uncover tailored, actionable solutions to improve the provider’s experience at work. The Professional Experience Program is led by Medical Director John Sawyer, PhD.

Resilience Course

Resilience is a course designed by the Office of Professional Well-Being and Ochsner Learning Institute to help all employees understand the art and science of increasing your ability to experience and handle all kinds of stress,  physical, mental and emotional, so that you can remain more purpose-driven personally and professionally.

Schwartz Center Rounds

Schwartz Rounds offers all members of the care team an opportunity to share their experiences, thoughts and feelings on thought-provoking topics drawn from key topics and actual patient cases.

COPE

COPE (Connecting with Our Peers through Empathy) is a peer support program designed to provide emotional first-aid to healthcare providers involved in stressful or challenging patient events.

Employee Assistance Program

The EAP provides assistance for major life issues, from relationship problems to legal and financial concerns. Employees and their household family members can receive counseling and help in identifying appropriate community resources.

Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy

Chaplains provide sensitive spiritual support for staff from all different faith backgrounds.

Learn more about Spiritual Care.

Mental Health Diplomats

Mental Health Diplomats is a peer-to-peer support initiative for Ochsner team members to connect in a safe space with their peers on topics affecting mental health. Our three support groups meet every other month and cover the following areas of need: Anxiety & Depression, Caregivers and Grief & Suicide.

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is a national program offered to Ochsner employees to teach them the skills to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use to better support their patients, peers, and community members.