The Challenge
At the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), leadership is a non-stop responsibility that often comes with few built-in opportunities for rest, reflection, or support that ultimately results in burnout prevention for healthcare providers.
As a premier academic medical institution, URMC faced multiple, compounding challenges:
- Faculty shortages and increased workloads, placing pressure on already stretched teams
- High burnout rates among clinical educators and faculty due to sustained stress
- A strong desire for personalized, flexible leadership development, beyond traditional workshops and mentoring
Leaders across URMC, from department heads to frontline physicians, wanted support to grow as professionals and stay resilient under mounting demands.
“This was an opportunity to show our faculty how we value them and that we’re invested in their professional development.”
— Dr. Janine Shapiro, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, URMC
The Solution
To meet this challenge head-on, URMC partnered with Valor Performance (now Mursion Coaching) to bring personalized, performance-focused coaching to its faculty and clinical leaders in order to build capacity, confidence, and culture, and prevent burnout.
Each participant received:
- 1:1 virtual coaching sessions tailored to individual goals and challenges
- Access to a guided self-directed learning platform, grounded in evidence-based performance psychology
- A coaching experience that was confidential, flexible, and fully personalized, enabling faculty to develop in a safe, non-evaluative space
Topics included:
- Navigating stress and competing priorities
- Enhancing communication and executive presence
- Building confidence, energy management, and mindset agility
“I have a newly honed tool set to call upon in my various roles — and I use those tools with agility and flexibility.”
— Dr. Heather Busick, Primary Care Physician and Associate CMIO
The program was also intentionally designed to integrate with existing internal resources like URMC’s mentoring programs and workshops to create a unified, comprehensive approach to development and burnout prevention in healthcare.
The Results
The response from faculty was immediate and enthusiastic, and the results were clear:
Strong Demand and Engagement
- 92% active engagement rate across participants
- Double the expected number of applicants requested coaching in the first cohort
Goal Progress and Leadership Growth
- 97% of participants made significant progress toward personal and professional goals
- 96% reported enhanced leadership effectiveness and performance at work
- 73% showed improved ability to influence their teams toward organizational goals
- 75% became more effective at asking for and using feedback to grow
“The coaching helped me navigate difficult situations and led to tangible changes in my leadership approach.”
— Dr. Erin Shope, D.M.D.
Improved Communication and Collaboration
- Colleagues noted a 10% increase in participants’ ability to communicate intentions clearly
- Teams reported greater psychological safety and collaboration as a ripple effect of coaching
Significant Stress Reduction and Burnout Mitigation
- 6% reduction in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores after just 2 months
- 18% reduction after 5 months
- 23% increase in perceived task success, despite no change in cognitive workload
- 16% decrease in negative emotional states (e.g., insecurity, discouragement, frustration)
“The coaching helped identify where I was stuck, and gave me concrete steps to grow as a leader.”
— Dr. Valerie Lang, Professor of Medicine
Why It Matters
For institutions like URMC, that are delicately balancing patient care, academic rigor, and faculty well-being, investing in leadership development is about more than professional growth. It’s about sustainability.
Mursion Coaching helped URMC:
- Retain and empower its faculty during a time of talent scarcity
- Create a culture of self-leadership and psychological safety
- Improve resilience, communication, and team effectiveness
- Demonstrate a visible investment in staff well-being for burnout prevention
“This is the real deal. It encourages leaders to engage, prioritize, and lead meaningful change. It’s the kind of support that creates ripple effects across an organization.”
— Dr. Jessica Shand, Director of Faculty Wellbeing, URMC
Learn More
Discover how Mursion’s coaching solutions can help your healthcare organization develop resilient leaders, reduce burnout, and build a culture of sustainable excellence.
