“Doctors have a constant pull between spending more time with patients and taking care of themselves,” said Dr. Eckman.
In fact, Dignity Health Arizona has been honored as a 2025 Joy in Medicine organization by the American Medical Association (AMA). The prestigious recognition from the country’s leading physician’s association honors health systems, hospitals and medical groups that prioritize proven methods to reduce burnout and enhance the professional fulfillment of doctors.
According to a news release, Dignity Health Arizona is the highest-ranked healthcare system in the state. The organization implements programs such as the AZ Market Physician Leadership Development Institute, which offers free and confidential classes and coaching sessions; a Well-Being Index, a survey to measure physician burnout; and a physician peer support program.
YRMC Vice President of Medical Affairs Dr. Ronael Eckman, a pediatric physician, is especially proud of the award and the work the organization is doing. “The national award is amazing because we’ve been working on this for years and it’s great to get national recognition.”
She says YRMC is using electronic data to understand how much doctors are working, including how much work they are doing at night after normal work hours. “We want to make sure that the doctors can relax and unwind after hours.”
Another method to address physician workout is for administrators to shadow doctors when they are caring for patients to understand what they are experiencing. The shadowing also is reversed with doctors shadowing administrators.
“Doctors have a constant pull between spending more time with patients and taking care of themselves,” said Dr. Eckman. One of her favorite programs is the peer-to-peer program, in which physicians check in on each other.
Dr Eckman is well aware of the needed balancing act. She has two children, ages 6 and 7, and she strives to balance work, family and self-care. “It can be challenging at times.”
With YRMC for 15 years, she notes the impact of the electronic records system, which can increase a physician’s workload, but can also save time with tools such as dictation. “We have more technology to drive efficiency,” she said. “We want to assist doctors as we can with stress and grief with unexpected outcomes. There was a big increase in burnout during the pandemic.”
She also encourages doctors to be mindful about finishing their work before they go home. “We want them to have the habits and tools to be efficient.”
Research shows burnout among U.S. physicians peaked at 62.8% in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. By implementing strategies to address burnout at the system level, the national physician burnout rate ebbed to 45.2% in 2023, however, it remains higher than many other professions.
When Dr. Eckman was trained nearly two decades ago, she says medical schools didn’t address self-care for doctors, but now there is much more awareness and attention focused on the health of physicians. She says doctors report feeling overwhelmed by complex medical problems and also not having enough time to commit to the patient.
“Doctors can be pressured by time and workload. This is frustrating and it’s hard to see colleagues in that spot. We want to see how we can improve that experience.”
She says YRMC strives to be the best place for doctors to work and the best place for patients to receive care.
Dr. Eckman received the Yavapai County Community Health Services Award for Service to Yavapai County during the Pandemic in 2022. In 2021, she was honored with the YRMC Total Healing Environment Physician of the Year award and the Prescott Area Chamber of Commerce Award for Excellence in Healthcare, highlighting her commitment to exceptional patient care and community service.
She received her medical degree at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Following this, she completed her Pediatric Residency at Phoenix Children’s Hospital/Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix.
Dr. Eckman is a member of the Yavapai County Young Children Collective Impact Action Steering Committee and serves on regional boards including the Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County, North Central Arizona Accountable Care and Northland Cares. QCBN
By Stan Bindell, QCBN
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