Clinician burnout may be one of the most pressing and widespread challenges in today’s healthcare environment. In the U.S., research reveals that physicians are 82% more likely to experience burnout than those in other occupations. The consequences are dire, costing the U.S. healthcare system approximately $4.6 billion annually in lost productivity, reduced hours, and turnover-related expenses. By 2036, burnout is projected to contribute to a shortage of 86,000 physicians. Healthcare institutions must find solutions to support their clinicians, remain economically viable, and optimize patient care.

Research shows that one factor critical to an organization’s success in delivering exceptional care is clinician engagement—the degree to which healthcare professionals feel fulfilled at work, supported by their organization, and motivated to contribute ideas that improve patient outcomes. More engaged clinicians have a deeper connection to the institution’s mission. They are less likely to be victims of the emotional exhaustion and burnout that can lead to higher error rates and declining productivity.

Too often, burnout is treated as an individual issue rather than a systemic one—fueling false perceptions that clinician engagement is static, shaped by external forces beyond administrators’ control. In fact, research shows that organizations have significant influence over engagement and can actively cultivate it by fostering workplace cultures rooted in resilience, inclusion, and shared responsibility. Further, studies consistently link higher engagement levels to improved patient safety and outcomes. With concerted, coordinated efforts, any organization can radically improve their engagement, and in turn, patient care.

To help accomplish this, health systems can partner with the right provider groups. Whereas engagement across the healthcare industry has been stuck at roughly 66% in the last 3 years, NorthStar Anesthesia is an example of an organization that has defied the trend. Seventy-one percent of NorthStar employees feel engaged with the organization, up 19 percentage points since 2022 – and 75% believe the company is positioned to succeed. NorthStar has intentionally designed customized programs to elevate the cultures of healthcare systems and meet the needs of administrators, clinicians, and most importantly, patients.

Cultivating a Culture of Engagement, From Top to Bottom

Strong leadership culture is the bedrock of high engagement in any organization. This is certainly true at NorthStar, where clinical leadership drives engagement, retention, and recruiting. We hold our leaders accountable for building strong teams and have quadrupled investment in leadership development since 2020. By focusing on recruiting top talent, retaining clinicians through support and growth, and running the practice efficiently, our clinical leaders create stability and performance that relate directly to patient care. The 3R leadership model is the backbone of our clinical leadership philosophy and defines how we train, incentivize, and hold leaders accountable. Through our Clinical Leadership Conference and high potential cohort, NorthStar Next, clinician leaders gain the skills to coach, set expectations, and manage high-stress environments. In a sector where manager engagement is typically low at 27% nationwide, NorthStar’s leadership focus has been remarkably effective, producing engagement levels of 83% among clinician leaders. These are the conditions that attract and retain top talent.

Empowered leaders foster fulfilling and community-oriented employee cultures at all levels. NorthStar outperforms peers on recruiting and retention, with more than 75% of employees expecting to stay with the company two years from now, putting us in the top 10% nationally. Career opportunity ratings exceed industry benchmarks by 20 points, and nearly 90% of employees believe people from different backgrounds can succeed at our sites. Belonging among female physicians has risen by 9 points year over year—reducing female physician attrition by over 30% between June 2024 and June 2025.

Moving the Benchmark Forward

Clinicians’ jobs are already challenging enough—they shouldn’t have to settle for a work environment where connection, purpose, and growth feel out of reach. In addition to burnout, low clinician engagement often worsens patient safety, quality of care, and overall organizational performance. Healthcare institutions and the communities they serve simply cannot afford the risk.

It takes the right strategy and a committed leadership team for healthcare organizations to overcome these challenges. Partnering with proven practice management companies, like NorthStar, offers clinician-focused programming and investment that transforms an institution’s engagement from a lagging weakness to a leading force for community healthcare.

If you’re evaluating how to improve your system’s anesthesiology capabilities and are interested in learning more, please contact NorthStar’s Chief Growth Officer, Dennis Shin, at dennis.shin@northstaranesthsia.com.

The post The Hidden Power Behind High-Performing Healthcare: Clinician Engagement appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.