What the Harvard Flourishing Measure Tells Us About Well-Being
The cost of physician burnout and turnover is staggering. One of the nation's largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health systems, serving 1.2 million patients across 90 clinics and hospitals in Minnesota and Wisconsin, recognized that its general EAP wasn't enough to meet the unique mental health needs of its 1,800+ physicians and APPs.
This case study shows exactly how a dedicated investment in physician well-being paid off, in trust, in culture, and in utilization.
The Challenge: A Culture Resistant to Asking for Help
Despite a decades-long EAP relationship, this health system saw a persistent barrier: physicians trained to be resilient on their own, hesitant to seek support until they hit a breaking point. Mounting administrative and clinical demands, limited access to timely mental health support, and a lack of virtual care options compounded the problem, especially during the pressures of COVID-19.
The Solution: Physician Well-Being Resources, Built for Clinicians
In partnership with VITAL WorkLife, the system expanded its EAP into dedicated Physician Well-Being Resources: confidential support built specifically for physicians, nurse practitioners, PAs, and other APPs. The rollout included:
- New-hire integration: Every incoming physician and APP is introduced to the program on day one.
- Internal Well-Being Advocates: A trained network across roles and sites champions the program and shares real experiences with it.
- Digital and mobile access: Regular reminders and an easy-access mobile app, especially valuable for younger clinicians.
- Leadership-driven awareness: Town halls, physician roadshows, and visible executive support normalized asking for help before a crisis.
This wasn't a one-time rollout. It was a sustained culture shift, reinforced from the top down.
The Impact: Utilization, Retention and a Measurable ROI
By embedding well-being into its culture rather than treating it as a side benefit, the health system saw remarkable results: utilization among physicians and APPs climbed from 33% to 78% over four years. That growth is where the ROI story begins; a program physicians don't use can't prevent the turnover, disengagement, and burnout-driven costs it's designed to offset. As stigma dropped and clinicians began using services proactively rather than in crisis, leadership points directly to strengthened physician retention as the return on that investment, avoiding the steep cost of replacing physicians who leave due to burnout.
As the Hospital Administrator put it: "We need to take care of the people in our organization who are caring for others. It's reassuring to know that no matter what challenges our clinicians face, they have a trusted resource ready to support them."
Ready to See the Blueprint?
Discover the specific steps this health system took to triple engagement with physician well-being resources, including how they built awareness, integrated support into onboarding, and made confidentiality the foundation of adoption.
