Faculty perceptions of wellness at an academic medical center.

Background: Despite national recommendations and decades of literature highlighting the importance of faculty wellness, gaps at academic medical centers remain. Multilevel wellness initiatives are necessary to create change and optimally support academic faculty.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine faculty perceptions of factors contributing to lack of wellness and proposed solutions in the context of current resources at our academic medical center in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

Methods: The Georgetown University Medical Center Faculty Development Committee created a Wellness Task Force in response to a charge by leadership. The 11-member Task Force included faculty members from different disciplines: psychiatry, neurology, family medicine, pediatrics, nursing and oncology. Data collection occurred September 2021 to January 2022. Interviews and focus groups elicited faculty input on 1) factors that contribute to and detract from wellness and 2) strategies to enhance wellness within our academic medical center.

Results: Faculty described individual and organizational factors contributing to lack of wellness: challenges with balance; lack of connection, autonomy, resources and feeling valued; communication; culture; attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion; leadership; and workload. Proposed solutions included a comprehensive, centralized and consistent plan; culture change; incentives; increased autonomy, feelings of value, and resources.

Conclusions: Wellness as a budgetary priority and strategic initiative remains a critical goal for academic medical centers. Faculty perceptions of factors contributing to lack of wellness and proposed solutions underscore and add to national recommendations.