What is it about?

Only a few studies have investigated how a C-suite level leader can execute effective wellness programs. Ten locations in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) piloted the role of Chief Well-Being Officer (CWO). CWOs in VA were tasked with implementing initiatives to support an organizational culture of clinician well-being, address practice inefficiencies, and enhance clinicians’ personal resilience through leadership, strategy, and advocacy. This study used surveys and interviews to examine the early experiences of the CWOs and select intervention strategies implemented in clinical workgroups. Preliminary results with a limited sample size show improvements in perceptions of a culture of well-being (e.g., the extent to which clinicians perceive they have support for their well-being at work) and change readiness (e.g., the extent to which clinicians perceive their workgroups are committed and confident that they can implement desired changes). In addition, CWOs not in the role full-time and lacking a budget, staff, and other resources had limited ability to make improvements.

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Why is it important?

is partly due to trained healthcare professionals burning out and leaving healthcare. Figuring out what can be done on an organizational level to address burnout is challenging: healthcare systems are complex and implementing comprehensive initiatives to combat burnout equally complex. While more research is needed to understand of the impact of the CWO role, identifying a key leader to strategize and advocate for workable solutions shows promise based on pilot findings.

Perspectives

This study evaluated our first attempts at doing something brand new in VA – bringing the role of the Chief Well-being Officer (CWO) to VA medical centers to lead organizational burnout mitigation efforts. We learned a lot from this initial pilot work and have used what we have learned to embark on a much larger CWO journey. Guided by initial pilot approaches and findings, VA launched the largest CWO hiring effort of its kind by a single U.S. healthcare system, hiring 34 CWOs to date since 2022. We are excited to keep learning how best to integrate this role within our healthcare system and how we can effectively create a culture that supports the well-being of our health care workers.

Tamara Schult
Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Piloting the role of the chief well-being officer in Veterans Health Administration: The auspicious start., Families Systems & Health, September 2024, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/fsh0000918.
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