HonorHealth has earned Gold recognition from the American Medical Association’s 2026 Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Program, the AMA’s highest-level honor.
The program recognizes healthcare organizations for their efforts to support physician well-being and address the system-level factors that contribute to burnout. HonorHealth is one of only two healthcare organizations in Arizona to receive Gold status in 2026 and one of 21 Gold recipients nationwide.
Previously recognized in 2023, HonorHealth continues to strengthen its support for clinicians. Efforts include trained peer support for physicians and APPs after difficult experiences, removing stigmatizing mental health questions from Medical Staff credentialing applications and improving electronic health record (EHR) efficiency. Listening rounds and events also give clinicians opportunities to share their experiences and help shape improvements.
For HonorHealth, earning Gold status is an important milestone. But it isn’t the finish line.
“This recognition reflects meaningful progress and the work of many people across HonorHealth, but it doesn’t mean our work is finished,” said Tiffany Pankow, MD, chief of caregiver wellness and patient experience. “We know some of our physicians and APPs continue to face real challenges. Gold recognition gives us an opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come while staying focused on listening, learning and finding more ways to support the well-being of our teams.”
Supporting physician and APP well-being is a shared commitment, and it matters to the people we care for, too. By listening and responding to our clinicians’ experiences, we help create an environment where care teams feel supported and can focus on what matters most: caring for our patients.