408 - Assessing employee burnout and exhaustion: lessons from a major health system impacted by Hurricane Helene

Session Description: Burnout and exhaustion are leading occupational health challenges with significant consequences for workforce retention, productivity, and safety. This session will explore the prevalence and drivers of employee burnout, organizational best practices for assessment, and insights from a case study on a healthcare system impacted by Hurricane Helene. Using validated tools to evaluate burnout and resilience as well as custom survey questions on intention to leave, the case study highlights how disaster exposure, organizational response, and access to mental health resources affect employee wellbeing. Participants will gain practical strategies to identify burnout, strengthen organizational assessment, and apply lessons from real-world experience to improve workforce resilience and decision-making at the organizational level.

Educational Gaps: Burnout is often under-recognized, misclassified, or addressed reactively. Physicians may overlook upstream workplace drivers such as workload, low control, and poor support, and fail to use validated assessment tools. This session bridges the gap by equipping OEM clinicians to systematically measure burnout, interpret risk factors, and advise leadership on prevention and resilience strategies.

Is this session being sponsored by an ACOEM Section or Component?: No

Has this session previously been presented?: No

The AOHC 2026 theme is Healthy workers. Healthy world: Burnout undermines both worker health and organizational effectiveness. By providing OEM clinicians and leaders with tools to assess burnout, identify barriers to support, and strengthen workforce resilience, this session advances the AOHC theme. Healthy, supported employees sustain safer workplaces and stronger communities, reinforcing the connection between workforce wellbeing and global health.