To advocate effectively for physician well-being, we must be strategic rather than reactive.
In today’s ever-evolving health care landscape, transformation is not driven by passion alone but by thoughtful alignment with the priorities of those who shape the system.
It is tempting to seek fairness, to call out what is wrong, and to lament the losses inherent in modern medicine.
Culture and systemic change will not come from complaining; it will come from understanding.
Understanding two very different but equally important things. The first is to understand how we were trained to think in medicine and how this contributes to the culture of unwellness in medicine. The second is understanding what leadership values.
I led local and regional wellness initiatives for nearly two decades at The Permanente Medical Group. For most of the same time period, I was also an operational leader. I lived the tension between operational demands and the well-being of those who deliver care. Five years ago, I pivoted to helping individual physicians manage their own wellness and burnout and supporting physician leaders to lead strategically without compromising their own wellness or the wellness of those they lead.
Physicians, with their deep understanding of the system’s fractures and inefficiencies, are uniquely positioned to lead the charge, but we must first step out of grief and victimhood. Acknowledging what we thought medicine would be allows us space to process so we can move forward with clarity and empowerment.
Physician burnout is not an excuse to disengage—it is an invitation to step into leadership with wisdom and strength. It is an opportunity to shape the system from within, to create a culture where physicians can thrive rather than merely endure.
In order to do this, we must also understand and acknowledge how our own thinking is getting in the way. Physicians are trained to think in certain ways, which compound the moral injury and injustices in our current system.
Our glorification of self-sacrifice, martyrdom, and service at all costs in ourselves and our colleagues is but one example of how we have contributed to the problem of physician burnout.
Change happens not when we wait for leadership to act, but when we understand what they are accountable for and meet them in that space.
We can learn to speak the language of leadership, to frame physician wellness not as a moral imperative, but as a necessity for retention, financial sustainability, and quality patient care. Physician well-being is not an abstract ideal; it is directly tied to the stability of our institutions, the quality of patient care, and the very future of health care itself.
It is in learning the structures and rules that we find the power to advocate effectively. When we translate our needs into the metrics that matter, we do more than advocate; we compel action.
We can learn to speak the language of leadership, to frame physician wellness not as a moral imperative, but as a necessity for retention, financial sustainability, and quality patient care.
Physician well-being is not an abstract ideal; it is directly tied to the stability of our institutions, the quality of patient care, and the very future of health care itself.
Wellness is neither a luxury, nor solely a personal responsibility.
It is an essential component of a functioning health care system—one that affects patient care, workforce stability, and financial outcomes.
Jessie Mahoney is a board-certified pediatrician, certified coach, mindfulness and yoga teacher, and the founder of Pause & Presence Coaching & Retreats. After nearly two decades as a physician leader at the Permanente Medical Group/Kaiser, she stepped outside the traditional medical model to reimagine what sustainable well-being in health care could look like. She can also be reached on Facebook and Instagram.
Dr. Mahoney’s work challenges the culture of overwork and self-sacrifice in medicine. She helps physicians and leaders cultivate clarity, intention, and balance—leveraging mindfulness, coaching, yoga, and lifestyle medicine to create deep and lasting change. Her CME retreats offer a transformative space for healing, self-discovery, and renewal.
As co-host of The Mindful Healers Podcast, she brings self-compassion and presence into the conversation around modern medical practice. A sought-after speaker and consultant, she partners with organizations to build more human-centered, sustainable, and inspired medical cultures.
Dr. Mahoney is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.
