Presence. Power. Purpose.
How autonomy fuels satisfaction at SSM Health.
Many physicians and advanced practitioners today are experiencing burnout. It’s not because they’ve lost the passion for medicine. It’s because over the years, they’ve lost control over how they practice medicine. The erosion of professional autonomy has become one of the most cited sources of dissatisfaction across specialties, practice settings and career stages.
Many studies have focused on clinician burnout. A recent multi-institutional study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that physicians who report less control over their schedules, workloads, staffing and clinical decision-making are more likely to experience burnout and consider leaving the practice altogether. These findings shine a light on the benefit of intrinsic motivators such as autonomy, mastery and purpose as key drivers of professional fulfillment and career satisfaction.
At SSM Health, we’ve always believed that giving clinicians autonomy to practice medicine and do what’s best for their patients is the best way to deliver care. What we’ve seen across all our Healing Ministries is that when clinicians are trusted to practice medicine the way they know works best — for themselves and for their patients — everyone benefits.
Reclaiming a Voice in Clinical Practice
Across SSM Health’s integrated system — serving communities in Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin — physicians describe a culture where leaders listen and respond more than they react or dictate. We’ve made it a core tenet of our practice culture to invite clinical voices and visions to help shape care decisions.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how much physician and clinician leadership there is within the hospital administration,” says Clara Tang, MD, an SSM Health OB-GYN practicing in Oklahoma. “We have an impact in a lot of things moving forward.”
Rather than rigid productivity mandates or one-size-fits-all workflows, SSM Health clinicians receive the support they need to build or expand their practices to enhance their clinical mastery, respond to their patients’ needs and reflect their own professional values.
“When you come to work for SSM Health, we care about the talents that you bring, that your partners in your practice care, that your leadership cares and that your communities care,” says Kalyan Katakam, MD, an SSM Health pediatrician and vice president of medical practice for the St. Louis, Missouri, region. “We all want to make sure that when you come in, you’re successful.”
For many physicians, this kind of support and autonomy offers a refreshing freedom and relief that makes a real difference in the way it feels to practice medicine.
Autonomy That Fuels Purpose
SSM Health’s mission-driven culture reinforces the idea that purpose and autonomy can — and should — work together. We understand that our work has deeper meaning when it’s rooted in purpose, and we want to create an environment where our physicians and advanced practitioners can tap into the life-changing purpose of their work and reconnect with the reasons they chose medicine in the first place.
“Working somewhere that allows you to practice the way that you want to practice is very important,” says Haleigh Hughes, DO, an SSM Health family and sports medicine physician practicing in Missouri. “You can have the conversations you need to have with your patients about all the care and all the topics that you need to have.”
That sense of purpose shows up not just in patient interactions but in how physicians grow their careers. From leadership development to program creation, clinicians throughout SSM Health are encouraged and supported to think bigger.
“I was able to build a spine program here, and we are still growing,” says Amit Bhandarkar, MD, a spine surgeon in Illinois. “We thrive here and go home happy and gratified about being able to take care of our patients.”
Collaboration That Drives Progress
Autonomy at SSM Health doesn’t mean practicing in isolation. In fact, physicians frequently describe the opposite: stronger collaboration, easier access to colleagues and care teams that work together with a shared purpose.
“I am able to meet a lot of our consultants, and I have their phone numbers — and they have mine,” Dr. Hughes adds. “If I’m worried about something, I don’t have to call a front desk. I can message them or call them directly. It allows us to better care for our patients.”
That culture also resists one of modern medicine’s most demoralizing pressures: the relentless push to do more in less time.
“I’ve been very impressed and satisfied that I have not felt that squeeze to shrink visits in order to see more people in less time,” says Sara Galli, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Wisconsin. “SSM Health allows me to focus on the parts of my job that bring me joy and that allow my patients to get the results they’re hoping for.”
A Place to Practice — and Stay — for Good
When physicians are trusted, heard and supported, longevity follows. Across the system, SSM Health sees clinicians build lasting careers rooted in community, continuity and care.
“I see the longevity of our physicians and how long they stay within our system,” says Amy Franta, MD, regional chief clinical officer for SSM Health’s Wisconsin region. “We have physicians retiring after 20 or 30 years, having devoted their entire careers to serving patients here.”
That kind of commitment doesn’t happen by accident. It’s cultivated through pioneering programs, empowering growth and continually reinforcing a deeply held belief that compassionate care begins by caring for caregivers.
At SSM Health, autonomy isn’t about stepping back — it’s about stepping up, standing beside our clinicians and walking forward alongside them so that we can practice medicine with mastery, purpose and presence.
Together, We Care
Learn more about our clinician-friendly practice culture at JoinSSMHealth.com.
