Well-Being at Michigan Medicine

What does it take to create a culture where people can truly thrive? In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Harry welcomes Dr. Robert Ernst, Chief Health Officer and Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness at the University of Michigan, about building well-being into systems, policies and everyday experiences. They explore purpose-driven leadership, belonging, mental health and why helping people...

In this special Nurses Week episode, Chief Well-Being Officer Elizabeth Harry, M.D., chats with nurse leaders Denise Ervin, D.N.P., R.N., NC-BC, and Tonie Owens, M.S.N., R.N., about resilience, teamwork and the evolving future of nursing. They share personal stories, “sacred moments” in care and practical ways teams support well-being on the front lines. The conversation highlights both the challe...

In this special live episode, Dr. Elizabeth Harry hosts Dr. Shigehiro Oishi of the University of Chicago for a compelling, audience-engaged conversation recorded at U-M’s Rackham Building.   Drawing on cutting-edge research, Oishi challenges conventional notions of happiness, examining the tension between achievement and meaning. With practical insights for high performers, this energizing di...

Credentialing plays a critical role in patient safety — but it can also affect whether clinicians feel safe seeking mental health care. In this episode, leaders from Michigan Medicine and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation discuss evolving credentialing practices, reducing stigma and supporting clinician well-being while protecting patients. The conversation highlights how thoughtful policy cha...

How do quality improvement and clinician well-being intersect? Michigan Medicine’s Dr. Michael Englesbe, a transplant surgeon, joins Dr. Elizabeth Harry to discuss scaling change from the bedside, reducing burnout by removing unnecessary work, and lessons from Michigan’s opioid prescribing success.   A candid conversation on leadership, standardization, humility and why empowering frontline t...

Dr. Elizabeth Harry welcomes guests Drs. Adrienne Mann and Tyra Fainstad, co-founders of Better Together, an evidence-based group coaching program transforming physician well-being.   They share their personal journeys from burnout to coaching, explain how metacognitive group coaching builds community and resilience, and present compelling data showing significant reductions in burnout, impos...

*Content warning: While well-being and purpose is the main topic, the following conversation does contain material related to the loss of a child and mental health that some might find distressing. Listener discretion is advised. Dr. Vic Strecher of U-M Public Health joins host Dr. Elizabeth Harry to explore why purpose is a powerful driver of well-being, resilience and professional fulfillment. S...

In this special Well-Being at Michigan Medicine podcast with Dr. Elizabeth Harry, leaders across emotional support, clinical efficiency and faculty development reflect on Michigan Medicine’s achievement of gold status in the AMA’s Joy in Medicine Award. Drs. Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt, Whitney Begeman, Greta Branford, and George Mashour share how programs like COMPASS peer support, confidential counsel...

In this episode celebrating Healthcare Security and Safety Week 2025, host Dr. Elizabeth Harry talks with Brian Uridge, Director of Safety and Security at Michigan Medicine. Uridge shares his journey from community policing to health care security and explains how relationship-based safety practices strengthen well-being across the organization.   From de-escalation training to canine therapy...

In this episode, Dr. Sanjay Saint , Chief of Medicine at the VA Ann Arbor and the George Dock Professor of Internal Medicine at U-M, features as guest. Saint’s Sacred Moments Initiative highlights emotionally profound connections between patients and caregivers. These moments — where time slows and humanity shines — combat burnout and remind clinicians why they entered healthcare. Inspired by both...

Dr. Elizabeth Harry welcomes Chip Amoe, U-M Health’s Chief Sustainability Officer, who shares how his Michigan roots and passion for revitalizing communities inspired his career in health care sustainability.   He highlights the vital link between climate change and health, emphasizing the need for hospitals to lead sustainability efforts.   Through thoughtful building design, like the L...

In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Harry speaks with leaders from U-M (Dr. Kelcey Stratton), Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience (Dr. Whitney Begeman) and MHealthy (Karen Schmidt) about key mental health and well-being challenges in 2025. They explore how post-pandemic trauma, burnout, social isolation and workplace stress continue to impact health care professionals.   The trio of gues...

In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Harry welcomes Keith Gran and Devin Lippert from the Office of Patient Experience (OPE). Gran is Michigan Medicine’s chief patient experience, with over 30 years in academic health care leadership. Lippert is OPE’s administrative director with over 25 years in the field. Both bring deep professional and personal insights into improving care through empathy, data and...

In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Harry welcomes Dr. Ethan Kross of U-M’s Department of Psychology and Ross Business School and author of several books about emotion and self-control. Harry and Kross discuss the importance of emotional regulation and self-control, focusing on their impact on mental health and well-being.   Kross explains that emotions are natural responses to meaningful events a...

Dana Habers, M.P.H., joined the Well-Being at Michigan Medicine podcast to discuss the pivotal role innovation played in improving both health care delivery and organizational well-being. Habers is Michigan Medicine’s chief innovation officer and chief operating officer of pharmacy services. In the conversation, Habers emphasized that innovation was about "magnificent problem solving," citing the...

This special installment of Well-Being at Michigan Medicine coincides with celebrating Health Workforce Well-Being Day on March 18, 2025. As such, this episode brings together Chief Well-Being Officer Elizabeth Harry, M.D., and Jeffrey Patterson, M.H.S.A., M.P.H., the senior director for well-being operations and strategy. The duo discusses the evolution of the Office of Well-Being from its past i...

In this episode of Well-Being at Michigan Medicine, Chief Well-Being Officer Elizabeth Harry, M.D., welcomes Chief Transformation Officer Amy Cohn, Ph. D., to discuss complex health care issues, operations research, provider well-being and staff scheduling. A significant part of the conversation touches on operational improvements, including a key example of improving a call system at Michigan Med...

In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Harry is joined by Michigan Medicine’s Chief Information Officer Dr. Andrew Rosenberg . Harry and Rosenburg discuss how technology has aided and created hurdles to positive well-being in the medical setting. The two talk about the human focus, and ways data and innovation can be helpful in creating better relationships to reduce burnout. The transcript for this episo...

The second episode of Well-Being at Michigan Medicine with Dr. Elizabeth Harry welcomes Dr. Louito Edje as guest. Dr. Edje is the senior associate dean for medical education at the U-M Medical School.   In the conversation, Dr. Edje speaks to the importance of well-being in the education space. From policy positions to leadership development, Dr. Edje and Dr. Harry touch on ways that Michigan...

The inaugural episode of Well-Being at Michigan Medicine has Dr. Elizabeth Harry welcoming the organization’s triad leadership – Dr. Paul Lee of the U-M Medical Group, Julie Ishak, M.S.N., the chief nurse executive, and Dr. Charlie Reuland, the chief operations integration officer overseeing operations at the clinical enterprise. Some of the topics that the quartet discuss include fostering a cult...

Well-being and how it brings teams together is so important. Michigan Medicine’s Chief Well-Being Officer, Elizabeth Harry, M.D. , is bringing this topic, and many others, to audio life. It’s her dedicated mission to empower the expertise of Michigan Medicine’s team members by improving well-being and reducing burnout to advance seamless health care. The purpose of this podcast is to bring vital t...