From what I've observed and experienced myself, hospitalist burnout seems to be a lingering issue, particularly post-pandemic. It's not necessarily worsening since the peak pandemic years, but it's definitely holding steady rather than improving significantly. Many of my peers, including myself, are still feeling the intense pressures that began during the pandemic, and these seem to have become a new normal in our daily practice. The major burnout drivers revolve around a few core issues: increased administrative tasks, higher patient acuity, and the emotional toll of continuous patient care under stringent conditions. Since 2020, it feels like the emotional demands have increased because both patients and their families require a lot of support due to ongoing health anxieties. On the role changes, incorporating hybrid coverage models and dealing with fluctuating patient volumes add another layer of complexity and stress, which directly contributes to burnout amongst hospitalists. As for meaningful strategies that help, focusing on team support systems and enhanced communication has made a noticeable difference. Instituting regular debrief sessions and ensuring there are mental health resources specifically tailored for hospitalists have been beneficial. From a personal standpoint, adopting mindfulness and setting strict boundaries for work-life balance have helped me cope better. If I could change one thing structurally, it would be to streamline the overwhelming administrative duties that often fall on hospitalists. Reducing this load would allow us to focus more on patient care rather than paperwork, ultimately enhancing both our professional satisfaction and our emotional well-being. Prioritizing this change would likely generate a significant positive impact on the sustainability of the hospitalist role.
Dr. Sarah Bonza, MD Staff Hospitalist, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, Ohio Current State of Burnout Based on what I've experienced and seen among my peers, hospitalist burnout post-pandemic is holding steady. The intense spike we saw during the peak pandemic years has eased slightly, but the underlying drivers remain. Many of us are bracing for potential census drops with Medicaid cuts, which adds another layer of uncertainty. Drivers of Burnout Now vs. 2020 The main shift is that during the pandemic, burnout came from sheer volume, crisis-level acuity, and the emotional toll of COVID-19. Now, the drivers are more structural: increased administrative burden, more stringent insurance approvals for admissions and discharges, and higher census expectations. Many community physicians stopped rounding in the hospital during the pandemic and never returned, which left hospitalists covering more ground. We also saw mass retirements, and those positions were not replaced. Impact of Workload Changes The administrative demands have grown dramatically. Much of my day now involves documenting to justify inpatient status, navigating insurance hurdles for skilled nursing placement, and sometimes participating in peer-to-peer calls with insurance companies. These delays keep patients in the hospital longer and add stress to already full schedules. Our hospital has also been acquired by a larger system that prioritizes efficiency, meaning colleagues aren't replaced when they leave, which drives census higher. Effective Strategies At a personal level, my own pivot into wellness and lifestyle medicine has helped me maintain resilience and perspective. At the team level, having open lines of communication and advocating for realistic census caps makes a difference. System-level changes that actually move the needle are rare, but when leadership visibly supports physician well-being—such as protecting time off or offering robust peer support programs—it helps morale. One Structural Change for Long-Term Sustainability If I could change one thing, it would be for healthcare systems to formally recognize the hospitalist's role as a specialty and value us accordingly in staffing, compensation, and respect. We have a direct impact on quality measures, patient safety, and throughput. Treating hospitalists as interchangeable or "disposable" fuels burnout; valuing our expertise could improve both sustainability and patient outcomes. Conflict of Interest: None.
From my perspective as the founder of Carepatron, hospitalist burnout has not disappeared since the pandemic. It has changed shape. The acute, crisis-driven exhaustion of 2020 has shifted into a chronic strain. AMA data from 2024 shows physician burnout rates still at 53%, with hospitalists among the most affected. Today's drivers face higher patient acuity, persistent staffing shortages, and more complex discharges, all on top of heavy documentation demands. Hybrid coverage models can also blur the boundaries between work and rest, making recovery more challenging. What works is addressing the system, not just the individual. I have seen real progress when hospitals improve staffing ratios, streamline EHR workflows, protect time for documentation, and run more collaborative rounds. Much of my work has focused on helping healthcare teams simplify administrative tasks and improve coordination. Burnout is not just a personal resilience problem, it's a workflow problem, and it is one we are actively looking to solve with Carepatron. By improving the systems around clinicians, we give them a better chance to feel empowered to focus on what they are trained and driven to do, which is caring for patients. If I could change one thing, it would be giving hospitalists more control over their schedules. Predictability and planned rest are powerful protections. Technology can play a role in removing friction so clinicians spend their energy where it matters most: with patients.