Joy in Medicine 2026: Northwell, Sutter, Johns Hopkins among AMA honorees for physician well-being

For hospital and health system leaders, physician burnout is a workforce and retention issue as much as a wellness concern. The American Medical Association (AMA) is recognizing the organizations it says are addressing it through system-level change.

The AMA on Oct. 7 named 92 hospitals, health systems and medical groups as 2026 Joy in Medicine recognized organizations. The 2026 class includes 39 first-time honorees and spans 30 states. Overall, 194 organizations in 41 states and the District of Columbia now hold the two-year recognition.

Northwell Health, Sutter Health, Novant Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center are among the 21 organizations to earn gold-level recognition for 2026-27. Johns Hopkins Medicine, Henry Ford Health and NYC Health + Hospitals are among 11 at the silver level, and 60 earned bronze.

“Supporting physician well-being helps create better care for everyone,” AMA President Willie Underwood III, M.D., MSc, MPH, said in a news release. “Studies show that when physicians are supported, patients benefit from safer, higher-quality care and a better overall experience.”

The retention case

Burnout rates continue to decline, but U.S. physicians still face a higher risk of burnout than other U.S. workers, the AMA said. Administrative burden, staffing shortages and stigma around mental health continue to add stress.

According to AMA data from 2024 and 2025, physicians in recognized organizations report a more positive professional environment than their peers in organizations that have not earned recognition. That includes lower burnout, higher job satisfaction and lower intent to leave.

What the AMA asks of leadership

The Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program, launched in 2019, rewards organizations that have redesigned clinical systems to address the root causes of burnout among physicians and care teams. Two of its six domains center on the executive suite:

• Commitment: Demonstrate leadership commitment and accountability for workforce well-being.
• Leadership: Demonstrate leadership practices that promote physician well-being and a healthy work environment.

The remaining four call for operational evidence:

• Assessment: Measure physician well-being and identify organizational drivers of burnout.
• Efficiency of practice environment: Improve workflows, reduce administrative burden and address inefficient systems.
• Teamwork: Structure and support care teams to improve collaboration and reduce workload.
• Support: Provide programs and resources that foster connection, peer support and professional well-being.

Organizations must document meaningful progress across these areas. The AMA reviews the evidence and verifies what applicants submit. Requirements grow in breadth and depth from bronze to silver to gold, giving organizations a tiered path to build on over time.

A framework for action plans

Underwood described the program as a planning tool as well as an honor.

“The Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program offers more than recognition of an organization’s commitment to physician well-being — it helps build a nationwide culture focused on meaningful, system-level change,” he said. “The program provides a framework for organizations to develop action plans that reduce unnecessary administrative work, support physician-led team-based care and use technology more effectively, creating practice environments where physicians can thrive and patients benefit.”

Team-based care refers to care teams, led by physicians, that share clinical and administrative tasks. The AMA links that structure to stronger collaboration and reduced workload.

Organizations recognized by the program “lead the way by investing in workplaces that support physicians and help them deliver compassionate, high-quality care,” Underwood said. The AMA is proud to honor these leaders “for their commitment to fostering positive, purposeful work cultures where physician well-being can flourish,” he added.

The AMA said it is working on the system-level drivers of physician burnout through research, collaboration, advocacy and leadership. Its stated goal: to make the patient-physician relationship more valued than paperwork, technology an asset rather than a burden, and physician burnout a thing of the past.

2026 Joy in Medicine recognized organizations

The following 92 organizations earned Joy in Medicine recognition for 2026-27, listed by state with recognition level.

Alabama

• Cahaba Medical Care (Bronze)

Arizona

• El Rio Health (Gold)
• HonorHealth (Gold)
• TMCOne | TMCHealth (Bronze)

California

• Amazon One Medical (Bronze)
• Family Health Centers of San Diego (Bronze)
• MemorialCare Medical Foundation (Bronze)
• Olive View-UCLA Medical Center (Bronze)
• Providence Mission Heritage Medical Group (Bronze)
• Rady Children’s Health Orange County (Bronze)
• Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group (Bronze)
• Sutter East Bay Medical Group* (Bronze)
• Sutter Health* (Gold)
• Sutter Independent Physicians* (Gold)
• Sutter Medical Center Sacramento* (Bronze)
• U.C. Davis Health (Bronze)
• UC San Diego Health (Gold)
• University of California, Irvine (Bronze)
• Valley Children’s Healthcare (Bronze)

Colorado

• Colorado Permanente Medical Group* (Bronze)
• Denver Health Medical Center (Silver)

Connecticut

• Stamford Health (Bronze)
• VA Connecticut Healthcare System (Bronze)

Florida

• AdventHealth (Bronze)
• ChenMed (Gold)
• Nemours Children’s Health (Silver)
• Pediatric Associates Family of Companies (Bronze)

Georgia

• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Gold)
• South Georgia Medical Center (Bronze)

Idaho

• St. Luke’s Health System (Gold)

Illinois

• Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 12 Great Lakes Health Care System (Bronze)
• Endeavor Health Medical Group (Silver)
• Oak Street Health (Gold)

Iowa

• Iowa City Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System (Bronze)

Kentucky

• Owensboro Health (Bronze)
• UK College of Medicine and UK HealthCare (Gold)

Louisiana

• Tulane University School of Medicine (Bronze)

Maryland

• Adventist HealthCare, Inc. (Bronze)
• Johns Hopkins Medicine (Silver)

Massachusetts

• Boston Medical Center (Gold)
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Bronze)
• Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Children’s (PPOC) (Bronze)
• Southcoast Health (Bronze)
• Sturdy Health (Bronze)
• VA Boston Healthcare System (Gold)

Michigan

• Henry Ford Health* (Silver)
• MyMichigan Health (Bronze)
• Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital and Trinity IHA (Silver)
• University of Michigan Health-Sparrow (Bronze)

Minnesota

• Allina Health (Bronze)
• Essentia Health (Bronze)
• Gillette Children’s (Bronze)
• HealthPartners (Silver)

Montana

• Benefis Health System (Bronze)

Nebraska

• Bryan Medical Center (Bronze)
• Nebraska Medicine (Gold)

New Jersey

• Atlantic Health* (Bronze)
• Capital Health (Bronze)
• Cooper University Health Care (Gold)
• RWJBH - Community Medical Center (Bronze)
• RWJBH Monmouth Medical Center (Bronze)

New York

• Catholic Health (Silver)
• Northwell Health* (Gold)
• NYC Health + Hospitals (Silver)
• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Silver)
• Talkiatry (Bronze)
• University of Rochester Medicine (Gold)

North Carolina

• ECU Health (Bronze)
• FirstHealth of the Carolinas (Bronze)
• Novant Health (Gold)

Ohio

• The Christ Hospital Health Network (Bronze)
• The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Gold)

Oregon

• Samaritan Health Services (Bronze)
• Sky Lakes (Bronze)
• VA Portland Health Care System (Bronze)

South Carolina

• Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) (Bronze)

Tennessee

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Bronze)

Texas

• Legacy Community Health (Bronze)
• Methodist Health System (Bronze)
• Texas Children’s Pediatrics* (Gold)
• Texas Oncology (Bronze)
• UMC Health (Bronze)
• University of Texas Health San Antonio (Bronze)
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Gold)

Utah

• Intermountain Health (Bronze)

Virginia

• Trusted Doctors, LLC (Bronze)
• UVA Health (Bronze)
• VCU Health - MCV Physicians (Bronze)

Washington

• MultiCare Health System (Silver)
• Vancouver Clinic (Bronze)

Wisconsin

• Children’s Wisconsin (Bronze)
• Froedtert ThedaCare and Medical College of Wisconsin (Gold)

*AMA Health System Member

Source: American Medical Association