Americans are paying more for less when it comes to health care. One in five patients now waits more than two months to see a primary care doctor or specialist. At its core, this crisis stems from a growing mismatch between patient demand and provider supply. Since the pandemic, demand for physicians has soared, while the health care workforce has shrunk by tens of thousands. 

A major driver of this exodus is exhaustion. Employee burnout costs the U.S. health care system billions each year in lost productivity and staff turnover. Each departure increases the burden on those who remain, creating a vicious cycle similar to what I have seen in Army Special Operations. 

Why has the health care workforce reached such a breaking point? The answer lies in a workplace culture that prizes daily endurance over sustainable schedules. For decades, health systems have tacitly celebrated martyrdom — praising those who work the longest, sleep the least and sacrifice the most. 

Patients need nurses and doctors who aren’t exhausted. But we can’t just tell health care workers — many of whom are trained to put others first — to take better care of themselves. Health care is a calling, and asking providers to prioritize themselves can feel at odds with their sense of service. 

Instead, organizations must meet their moral obligation to support workers physically, mentally and emotionally — and make self-care a measurable part of performance. Neglecting this responsibility harms employees, erodes institutional culture, damages public trust and ultimately compromises patient care. A nurse cannot provide compassionate care on empty. A physician’s judgment suffers under constant fatigue. 

To protect staff, institutions and patients, we must rethink how we support employee well-being. 

Some health systems are showing the way. At Ohio State University, the MINDBODYSTRONG program equips new nurses with cognitive strategies through weekly group sessions, yielding lasting improvements in mental health and job satisfaction. 

At my institution, the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, physicians who fully engaged with our wellness initiative, The Resiliency Project — which combined wearable devices with professional coaching — reported a threefold reduction in burnout symptoms over 12 weeks. 

These success stories share common elements. They are evidence-based, integrated into schedules rather than added on top of heavy workloads, fully funded and supported by leadership. They also recognize that while individual resilience matters, it cannot replace structural support in a culture where stress has become the norm. 

We have the tools and knowledge to make this transformation. Now, we need the will to turn them into standard practice. It is time to build a system that cares for caregivers as much as they care for us. 

The writer is a U.S. Army Special Forces combat veteran and former critical care nurse. This piece originally ran in The Well News.