Rebuilding trust with physicians and APPs

Coauthored by Alexis Wegman, Manager, Workforce Solutions.

The healthcare landscape continues to evolve—and with it, the ways care teams work and connect. In this moment of transformation, we’re seeing tremendous opportunity for organizational leaders to reinforce and scale the practices that foster strong, trusting relationships with physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs). These relationships are the foundation that enables clinicians to provide exceptional care.

Many leaders are already modeling the right behaviors: building trust, psychological safety, and teamwork, then co-designing solutions with the front line. But even with meaningful progress underway, physicians and APPs are still signaling that they don’t have enough time or resources to get the job done. They often feel under-recognized and are burning out from the operational frictions that get in the way of spending time with patients. When these signals go unaddressed, the ripple effects on care quality, patient experience, and culture can be immediate.

We recently analyzed data from 2.3 million employee surveys, including 77,000 physicians and 40,000 APPs, across more than 400 health systems, to better understand the state of our workforce today. While engagement has declined overall, the findings illuminate a path forward: Organizations that listen continuously and actively—and act with intention—are beginning to build more resilient, connected, and high-performing care environments. The challenge now is to hardwire these efforts so they reliably reach every corner of the workforce, every time.

Strengthening alignment between leaders and the front line

Alignment—that is, how connected, respected, and in-step an individual feels with their organizational leadership—is one of the most powerful drivers of engagement and long-term retention. True alignment is built through deliberate actions from senior leadership to communicate clearly and regularly, and foster mutual trust, teamwork, and a culture of shared accountability. And across the country, we’re seeing healthcare organizations invest in the behaviors and systems that build this kind of alignment.

In our work, we’ve heard from clinicians who deeply value feeling heard, informed, and involved in decision-making. We've heard from leaders who are eager to close any gaps between their intent and impact—i.e., what leaders think is right, and what clinicians actually need.

When clinicians have a voice in the decisions that impact their work, confidence in leadership grows. When they see their input reflected in action, engagement follows.

Walk the talk, together

Across our industry, leaders and clinicians are stepping up to tackle system-level challenges as a team. When physicians and APPs are invited to co-create solutions, change becomes more effective—and more sustainable.

Organizations are increasingly embracing this mindset: listening actively to their front line and addressing frictions together. And they do this by prioritizing what I call the “3 Ts”:

1. Build trust through transparency, fairness, and consistent follow-through.
2. Build teamwork by empowering APPs and physicians as collaborators, not just contributors.
3. Fix things together by co-creating solutions that reflect front-line needs and realities.

We’re seeing the impact when organizational leaders model these behaviors—and when physician and APP leaders are trained and resourced to do the same.

Closing the gap between data, design, and day-to-day practice

Many leading health systems are embracing a new model—one that connects advanced analytics with real-time front-line insights to drive meaningful improvement. From AI-powered early detection tools to clear, accountable roadmaps tailored to the needs of physicians and APPs, the focus is shifting toward solutions that are practical, measurable, and genuinely reflective of what the workforce needs most.

Among Press Ganey clients, we’re seeing powerful examples of what it looks like to operationalize and scale workforce engagement. ECU Health, for example, uses crowdsourcing technology to surface and solve real-world problems that affect them and their patients. Ambient listening tools are also helping reduce the documentation burden, which enables more focused, empathetic interactions and gives clinicians time back. leadership development programs deepen trust and collaboration across care teams. Lastly, several organizations have implemented leadership development programs to instill people-first leadership practices that reinforce psychological safety, teamwork, and accountability.

These efforts matter. When organizations create the conditions clinicians need to thrive, patients benefit too. Aligned and engaged physicians act with more empathy and communicate more clearly. As a result, patients report feeling more informed and more confident in their providers. 

This is the heart of the connection between employee experience and patient experience. When we invest in clinician alignment, engagement, and well-being, it doesn’t just boost morale—it improves outcomes, trust, and the quality of care.

Breaking the cycle by shifting from status quo to shared success

Despite ongoing pressures, clinicians continue to show up—driven by purpose, professionalism, and true care for their patients. What they need now is an environment that matches their deep commitment, giving them the clarity, connection, and resources to thrive.

This isn’t about diagnosing what’s broken. It’s about building what’s right. Together, we can create a future where clinicians feel proud of the work they do, and confident in the systems they’re part of.

Download “Healthcare employee experience in 2025” for more insights around the physician and APP experience. Or reach out to a Press Ganey expert to discuss these findings further.