Distress comes from disempowerment, and disempowerment can lead to disengagement. How does that happen? What are the conditions that foster disempowerment? How can we reverse course and empower workers to use their voices, be heard, and enact change?

Dr. Randl Dent, Research Scientist at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at the George Washington University explains how a culture of psychological safety can create a foundation for empowerment. Lisa Ladendorff, LSW, rejoins us to talk about how institutions can engage workers in designing changes to workflows to reduce operational inefficiencies, and ensure fair and meaningful recognition and rewards. And Dr. Carlton Abner, Assistant Professor and Associate Provost of Campus Health & Wellness Kansas City University shares his work focusing on empowering healthcare students before they graduate and enter the workforce.

The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

Health workers go into this field with a mission to help. But the many drivers of burnout and moral injury can result in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, anger, frustration, shame, guilt, and a sense of futility. Untreated burnout and moral injury threaten the health of workers, patients, and the relationship between the two – the very thing health practitioners work so hard to foster.

Dr. Simon Talbot, a Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon, and Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, explains how burnout and moral injury affect workers and those they serve. Lisa Ladendorff, LSW, Director of Training and Consulting Programs at the Northeast Oregon Network, breaks down how combating worker distress needs buy-in from all levels of the workforce. And Dr. Frankie Fachilla, Director of Clinical Education at Cornerstone in Tennessee, talks about how none of the changes needed to address these stressors happen in a vacuum.

The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

US healthcare is a sixth of our national economy comprised of nearly 15 million people, and its workforce is faltering. Workers are experiencing burnout and moral injury at an alarming rate, and the federal government is taking notice.

How did we get here? What went wrong? And why does the government care? Dr. Wendy Dean explores the drivers and consequences of burnout and moral injury with Corey Feist, CEO and Co-Founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, and Dr. Candice Chen, co-lead of the Workplace Change Collaborative.

The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

To learn more about The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation, go to drlornabreen.org.

The US health workforce is in distress. Burnout and moral injury are on the rise, and the consequences for practitioners and patients are devastating.

In this special six-part series, the Workplace Change Collaborative, funded by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, explores the drivers and consequences of burnout and moral injury amongst health workers, and identifies practical strategies to improve their well-being.

New episodes are released each week. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Series launches May 1, 2024

The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

The WCC Podcast is produced by Jill Ruby.