Less paperwork, better teams: AMA honors 92 health organizations for fighting physician burnout

Physician burnout is declining, but doctors still face a higher risk of it than other U.S. workers. Now the American Medical Association (AMA) is spotlighting the hospitals, health systems and medical groups it says are tackling the causes at the source.

On Oct. 7, the AMA named 92 organizations to its 2026 list of Joy in Medicine recognized organizations. The group includes 39 organizations recognized for the first time. It brings the total number of recognized organizations to 194 in 41 states and the District of Columbia, according to the AMA.

“Supporting physician well-being helps create better care for everyone,” AMA President Willie Underwood III, M.D., M.Sc., M.P.H., said in a news release.

“Studies show that when physicians are supported, patients benefit from safer, higher-quality care and a better overall experience. Organizations recognized by the Joy in Medicine Program lead the way by investing in workplaces that support physicians and help them deliver compassionate, high-quality care,” he said.

Stress points remain

The AMA cited administrative burden, staffing shortages and stigma around mental health as continuing sources of stress in physicians’ daily lives. Addressing those issues can help physicians thrive personally and professionally and provide the best care for their patients, the association said.

AMA data from 2024 and 2025 show that physicians in Joy in Medicine recognized organizations report a more positive professional environment than peers in organizations without the recognition, including:

• lower burnout
• higher job satisfaction
• lower intent to leave

How organizations qualify

The two-year recognition goes to organizations that have redesigned clinical systems to address the root causes of burnout among physicians and care teams. The AMA launched the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program in 2019. It is built on six domains, and each requires organizations to document concrete, system-level efforts:

• Assessment: Measure physician well-being and identify the organizational drivers of burnout.
• Commitment: Demonstrate leadership commitment and accountability for workforce well-being.
• Efficiency of practice environment: Improve workflows, reduce administrative burden and address inefficient systems.
• Teamwork: Show how care teams are structured and supported to improve collaboration and reduce workload.
• Leadership: Demonstrate leadership practices that promote physician well-being and a healthy work environment.
• Support: Provide programs and resources that foster connection, peer support and professional well-being.

Applicants must submit documented evidence of meaningful progress in these areas, and the AMA reviews and verifies it. Requirements increase in breadth and depth at the bronze, silver and gold levels. Of the 92 organizations recognized for 2026-27, 21 earned gold, 11 earned silver and 60 earned bronze.

Gold-level honorees this year include Boston Medical Center, ChenMed, HonorHealth, Northwell Health, Oak Street Health and Sutter Health.

A framework for less paperwork

Underwood said the program is meant to do more than hand out awards.

“The Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program offers more than recognition of an organization’s commitment to physician well-being — it helps build a nationwide culture focused on meaningful, system-level change,” he said.

“The program provides a framework for organizations to develop action plans that reduce unnecessary administrative work, support physician-led team-based care and use technology more effectively, creating practice environments where physicians can thrive and patients benefit,” Underwood said.

In team-based care, physicians lead a group of clinicians and staff who share the work of caring for patients, a structure the program’s teamwork domain links to better collaboration and a lighter workload.

The recognized organizations are mostly hospitals, health systems and larger medical groups. But the six domains track the same pressures that weigh on physicians in smaller practices: paperwork, inefficient workflows, team workload and a lack of peer support.

The AMA said it is working on the system-level drivers of burnout through research, collaboration, advocacy and leadership. Its goal, according to the association, is to make the patient-physician relationship more valued than paperwork, technology an asset rather than a burden, and physician burnout a thing of the past.

2026 Joy in Medicine recognized organizations

The following 92 organizations earned Joy in Medicine recognition for 2026-27, listed by state with recognition level.

Alabama

• Cahaba Medical Care (Bronze)

Arizona

• El Rio Health (Gold)
• HonorHealth (Gold)
• TMCOne | TMCHealth (Bronze)

California

• Amazon One Medical (Bronze)
• Family Health Centers of San Diego (Bronze)
• MemorialCare Medical Foundation (Bronze)
• Olive View-UCLA Medical Center (Bronze)
• Providence Mission Heritage Medical Group (Bronze)
• Rady Children’s Health Orange County (Bronze)
• Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group (Bronze)
• Sutter East Bay Medical Group* (Bronze)
• Sutter Health* (Gold)
• Sutter Independent Physicians* (Gold)
• Sutter Medical Center Sacramento* (Bronze)
• U.C. Davis Health (Bronze)
• UC San Diego Health (Gold)
• University of California, Irvine (Bronze)
• Valley Children’s Healthcare (Bronze)

Colorado

• Colorado Permanente Medical Group* (Bronze)
• Denver Health Medical Center (Silver)

Connecticut

• Stamford Health (Bronze)
• VA Connecticut Healthcare System (Bronze)

Florida

• AdventHealth (Bronze)
• ChenMed (Gold)
• Nemours Children’s Health (Silver)
• Pediatric Associates Family of Companies (Bronze)

Georgia

• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Gold)
• South Georgia Medical Center (Bronze)

Idaho

• St. Luke’s Health System (Gold)

Illinois

• Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 12 Great Lakes Health Care System (Bronze)
• Endeavor Health Medical Group (Silver)
• Oak Street Health (Gold)

Iowa

• Iowa City Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System (Bronze)

Kentucky

• Owensboro Health (Bronze)
• UK College of Medicine and UK HealthCare (Gold)

Louisiana

• Tulane University School of Medicine (Bronze)

Maryland

• Adventist HealthCare, Inc. (Bronze)
• Johns Hopkins Medicine (Silver)

Massachusetts

• Boston Medical Center (Gold)
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Bronze)
• Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Children’s (PPOC) (Bronze)
• Southcoast Health (Bronze)
• Sturdy Health (Bronze)
• VA Boston Healthcare System (Gold)

Michigan

• Henry Ford Health* (Silver)
• MyMichigan Health (Bronze)
• Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital and Trinity IHA (Silver)
• University of Michigan Health-Sparrow (Bronze)

Minnesota

• Allina Health (Bronze)
• Essentia Health (Bronze)
• Gillette Children’s (Bronze)
• HealthPartners (Silver)

Montana

• Benefis Health System (Bronze)

Nebraska

• Bryan Medical Center (Bronze)
• Nebraska Medicine (Gold)

New Jersey

• Atlantic Health* (Bronze)
• Capital Health (Bronze)
• Cooper University Health Care (Gold)
• RWJBH - Community Medical Center (Bronze)
• RWJBH Monmouth Medical Center (Bronze)

New York

• Catholic Health (Silver)
• Northwell Health* (Gold)
• NYC Health + Hospitals (Silver)
• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Silver)
• Talkiatry (Bronze)
• University of Rochester Medicine (Gold)

North Carolina

• ECU Health (Bronze)
• FirstHealth of the Carolinas (Bronze)
• Novant Health (Gold)

Ohio

• The Christ Hospital Health Network (Bronze)
• The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Gold)

Oregon

• Samaritan Health Services (Bronze)
• Sky Lakes (Bronze)
• VA Portland Health Care System (Bronze)

South Carolina

• Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) (Bronze)

Tennessee

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Bronze)

Texas

• Legacy Community Health (Bronze)
• Methodist Health System (Bronze)
• Texas Children’s Pediatrics* (Gold)
• Texas Oncology (Bronze)
• UMC Health (Bronze)
• University of Texas Health San Antonio (Bronze)
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Gold)

Utah

• Intermountain Health (Bronze)

Virginia

• Trusted Doctors, LLC (Bronze)
• UVA Health (Bronze)
• VCU Health - MCV Physicians (Bronze)

Washington

• MultiCare Health System (Silver)
• Vancouver Clinic (Bronze)

Wisconsin

• Children’s Wisconsin (Bronze)
• Froedtert ThedaCare and Medical College of Wisconsin (Gold)

*AMA Health System Member

Source: American Medical Association