Today, we are joined by Dr. Jonathan Ripp, a nationally recognized leader in physician well-being, serving as Senior Associate Dean for Well-Being and Resilience and Chief Wellness Officer at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Jonathan Ripp is a professor, researcher, and clinician who has helped shape the national conversation on burnout and resilience through his leadership of initiatives such as CHARM (the Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine), his work with the ACGME and National Academy of Medicine, and his pioneering research on physician distress and professional fulfillment. At Mount Sinai, he leads system-wide efforts to support the flourishing of students, trainees, and faculty. Dr. Ripp brings both deep clinical experience and organizational perspective to questions about what it takes for healthcare systems to cultivate cultures where clinicians feel supported, connected, and able to thrive.
In the conversation, Dr. Ripp reflects on the formative influences that drew him into medicine, including his early experiences at Mount Sinai and the values instilled through family and mentorship, revealing how those early ideals continue to shape his work in physician well-being.
We also cover:
The tension between medicine’s ideals and the realities of modern healthcare systems, including burnout, moral distress, and the systemic roots of clinician suffering
The importance of organizational culture, psychological safety, and supportive leadership in creating environments where clinicians can flourish
Practical and hopeful developments, from coaching and peer support networks to AI tools that reduce clerical burden, while emphasizing that meaningful work, human connection, and purpose remain at the heart of sustainable healing professions
Dr. Ripp concludes with a hopeful call to preserve purpose, community, and humanity in medicine while continuing to push for systemic change at the organizational and policy levels.