Learn More and Contact Us

If you’re interested in learning more about Ochsner’s OPW, connect with our leadership. For questions or more information, email the Office of Professional Well-Being at wellbeing@ochsner.org.

Nigel Girgrah, MD, Chief Wellness Officer

Melissa Love, Vice President of Professional Staff Services

Ashton Sloan, PA-C
Assistant Vice-President, Office of Professional Well-Being
wsloan@ochsner.org

What Is Burnout?

Overwhelming exhaustion. Feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job or patients. A sense of ineffectiveness or loss of control. These are all clues that a healthcare professional is experiencing burnout. It is estimated that over half of the physicians in the U.S. experience some sign of burnout. Predominant drivers include:

• High workload
• Practice and workflow inefficiencies
• Increased time spent in documentation
• Lack of team support
• Social isolation at work
• Lack of exercise/poor physical health

In your personal life, burnout can lead to drug and alcohol abuse, divorce and depression. From an industry standpoint, burnout can impact quality of care, safety, patient satisfaction and staff turnover rates.

OPW helps by offering services designed to support Ochsner employees' personal professional well-being through promotion of:

• Mental Health & Well-Being Initiatives
• Physical Wellness
• Personal resilience
• An organizational culture of resilience
• Practice Efficiency

In the News

• American Association for Physician Leadership – 9/8/2022
  "Archetypes of Burned-Out Physicians and How To Help Them"
  
• American Medical Association – 8/9/2022
  “How Ochsner Health created culture to support physician well-being
• American Medical Association – 1/28/2022
  “Nigel Girgrah, MD, PhD, on well-being and top stressors physicians are facing”
• BizNewOrleans - 12/17/2021
  "Even Health, Ochsner Partner to Support Healthcare Professionals During Holidays”
• American Medical Association Press Release – 10/07/2021
  “AMA recognizes health systems that care for the caregivers”
• Advisory Board - 04/23/2021
  “How Ochsner Health's structured debriefs promote recovery during a crisis”
• Vizient | Modern Practice Podcast - 04/08/2021
  The administrative burden - Part 1
  The administrative burden - Part 2
• American Medical Association - 09/30/2020
  “Nigel Girgrah, MD, discusses crisis fatigue contributing to physician stress”
• American Medical Association - 08/19/2020
  “What is a chief wellness officer?”
• Becker’s Hospital Review - 04/15/2020
  “Ochsner Health's key tactics to promote staff well-being during COVID-19”

Mental Wellness

Learn about ongoing initiatives related to wellness and mental health and well-being at Ochsner as we work towards 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 its 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, 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.

C.O.P.E.

C.O.P.E. (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.

Ochsner Anywhere Care Behavioral Health and Well-Being

Ochsner employees can access online behavioral health counseling sessions and group therapy with loved ones through the Ochsner Anywhere Care website or mobile app in the privacy of their home.

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.