By Taylor Murrow, Vitals contributor
Physician burnout rates continue to decline across the nation, yet those in the U.S. remain at higher risk relative to other U.S. workers.
Why does this matter for patients? Simply stated: patients who receive care from clinical teams who feel more balanced in their work can experience higher quality of care and greater patient satisfaction.
The American Medical Association has awarded 2026 Joy in Medicine™ recognition to Sutter Health, Sutter Independent Physicians, Sutter East Bay Medical Group and Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. This distinction honors health systems, hospitals and medical groups that prioritize proven methods to reduce burnout and create environments where physicians and advanced practice clinicians can thrive.
This year’s recognition reflects years of continued collaboration among physicians, medical group leaders, hospital leaders, the Office of Well-Being and other teams across Sutter to create a culture where clinicians feel supported, connected and empowered to provide exceptional patient care. Through the AMA’s Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program, Sutter Health and Sutter Independent Physicians achieved Gold designation, while Sutter East Bay Medical Group and Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento earned Bronze.
While the recognition is an important milestone, advancing physician and APC well-being remains an ongoing effort. Across Sutter, teams continue to focus on making work easier, creating a thriving work environment and improving access to support resources that help physicians and APCs navigate the challenges of practicing medicine. Recent progress includes:
Reducing administrative burden through digital innovation: Physician and APC feedback is shaping ongoing enhancements to the electronic health record and other digital tools, helping make work easier. Together, technology-enabled improvements, workflow enhancements and automation returned more than 1.6 million hours to care teams in 2025. More than 6,000 clinicians now use ambient documentation, supporting more than 5 million clinical notes and reducing charting time by up to 30%. These efforts help clinical teams gain more facetime with patients during office visits, rather than focus on notetaking.
Building a coordinated well-being strategy: Across Sutter, the Office of Well-Being, physician leaders and local teams are working together to align well-being programs and support resources so physicians and APCs can more easily access the help they need. Research shows that when clinicians feel supported and engaged in their work, patients can benefit through better experiences, stronger communication and high-quality care.
Listening and responding: Through a systemwide listening tour, the Office of Well-Being engaged more than 400 physicians, advanced practice clinicians and staff to better understand the challenges they face and identify opportunities for improvement. Feedback and data help guide changes that make it easier for clinicians to do their jobs effectively, helping them spend more time focused on patients and less time navigating workplace obstacles.
Strengthening support, building community and enhancing workplace safety: Sutter continues to expand programs that help physicians and care teams feel supported, connected and safe at work, contributing to a stronger and more resilient care environment. These efforts include a systemwide peer support program, mental health access resources, community-building initiatives such as Literary Arts and Medicine and the HEAL volunteerism program, as well as workplace violence prevention and enhanced weapons screening.
Organizations recognized through the AMA’s Joy in Medicine program must demonstrate progress in six key areas: commitment, assessment, leadership, teamwork, efficiency of the practice environment and support.
Dr. Todd Smith
“At Sutter, we know that caring for patients starts with caring for the people who provide that care,” said Dr. Todd Smith, Sutter’s executive vice president and chief physician executive. “This award reflects the commitment of teams across Sutter who are working together to strengthen the physician and APC experience, improve support systems and create conditions that help our physicians and APCs focus on what matters most: the care they deliver.
Dr. Jill Kacher Cobb
“The Joy in Medicine recognition celebrates meaningful progress, but our work continues,” said Dr. Jill Kacher Cobb, Sutter’s chief wellness officer. “It’s about creating an environment where physicians feel seen, supported and able to bring their best selves to the work they do every day. I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made together across the organization and excited about what we’ll continue to accomplish in partnership.”
Learn more about the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program here.
