Physician Coaching Programs
for Healthcare Institutions & GME
Build a resilient, engaged physician workforce with evidence-based coaching — designed by a physician who led wellness inside a major health system for 20 years.
Most wellness programs don’t work — and the physicians you’re trying to support know it.
Pizza parties, resilience webinars and workshops, and one-off speaker events fail because they don’t address the trained thought patterns, nervous system dysregulation, and cultural conditioning that actually drive physician burnout, disengagement, and attrition.
Institutions need an intervention that physicians find credible, creates measurable change, and translates directly into better clinical culture, stronger teams, and improved retention.
That’s what physician coaching does — and it’s what I’ve spent the last two decades building.
Some of the organizations that have brought coaching to their teams and GME programs
Organizations include the American College of Cardiology, Stanford, Sutter Health, The Permanente Medical Group/Kaiser Permanente, and the Medical University of South Carolina.
Why Coaching is the Highest-Impact Wellness Intervention?
Coaching is an evidence-based, high-impact intervention that reduces burnout and emotional exhaustion and improves professional fulfillment and quality of life.
It isn’t about escaping medicine. It’s about practicing medicine in a healthier, more sustainable way — by addressing both mindset and physiology.
Coaching helps physicians reduce burnout, anxiety, shame, imposter syndrome, guilt, over-responsibility, and toxic independence. It empowers physicians with practical tools so they can take better care of themselves, their families, and their patients.Coaching is an evidence-based, high-impact intervention that reduces burnout and emotional exhaustion and improves professional fulfillment and quality of life.
Multiple randomized controlled trials demonstrate that physician coaching improves well-being and reduces distress and burnout. Research also shows that coached physicians report improved workplace engagement — which correlates with better patient care, patient safety, higher satisfaction, reduced medical errors, and stronger retention.
Coaching is one of the few wellness interventions with rigorous evidence behind it, and it’s one physicians actually value.
Sutter Health Case Study
Case Study: Sutter Health East Bay — 79 Physicians, 100% Positive Impact
In 2024–2025, I facilitated five physician coaching wellness retreats for Sutter Health East Bay Medical Group at Nicasio Creek Farm. These were Sutter’s first-ever physician wellness retreats.
The results:
100% of participants (79/79) found the program helpful
100% would recommend it to their colleagues
75% reported feeling more hopeful after attending
More than half reported feeling less stressed, less depleted, and less isolated
Additional reported benefits included improved communication and reflective skills, increased agency in career decisions, enhanced connection across specialties, and greater clarity in leadership roles and transitions
The program proved so effective that in 2026 we will offer another three clinician retreats as well as adding a virtual coaching cohort and leadership-specific programming.
In their words
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“I can personally attest that as a Family Medicine physician and co-director of Primary Care, as well as a mom of two young kids, with a commute, and a partner who also has a demanding job, I may have left a job I love if it weren’t for physician coaching and development work with Dr. Mahoney.” — Dr. Samara Nebendzahl, Sutter East Bay Medical Director & Wellness Lead
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“Every provider within 6 months of starting should be offered this.” — Executive Director, Primary Care
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“This has given me the tools to keep reevaluating how I am doing to prevent burnout, feel better, and in turn provide better care to patients.” — Internal Medicine Physician, Sutter East Bay
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“The first step in being present and purposeful is understanding the learned behaviors that drain our energy and create negative emotions. This retreat helped me recognize and unlearn those behaviors, AND provided helpful tools to work and live with calm and purpose.” - Arzou Ahsan, MD, CEO Sutter East Bay
What Makes Pause & Presence Coaching Programs Different
I’m a board-certified pediatrician who spent over 20 years leading physician wellness at The Permanente Medical Group/Kaiser Permanente — one of the largest physician groups in the country.
I didn’t study physician burnout from the outside. I led through it, built programs from the inside to address it, and have since coached hundreds of physicians navigating it.
My approach integrates professional coaching, nervous system science, psychology, mindfulness, and practical strategy.
It’s designed for physicians who are skeptical of “wellness,” short on time, and exhausted by performative solutions.
I offer perspective-shifting frameworks and an abundance of concrete, immediately implementable tools.
Physicians and teams carry these back into clinical practice the next day — not the next quarter.
This work is grounded in what’s true about healthcare right now.
It’s honest about challenges on all sides, and oriented toward what actually helps.
Coaching & Wellness Program Formats for Institutions
I work with wellness directors, CMOs, and medical group leaders to design the right program for your institution’s culture, size, and goals. Options include:
Cohort-Based Virtual Coaching Programs
Topic-driven virtual coaching programs for physician teams, women in medicine cohorts, early-career physicians, mid-career physicians, and leaders. Each program includes group coaching sessions, practical tools, and frameworks physicians can apply immediately. Programs can be customized for any specialty, career stage, or institutional goal.
GME Coaching Programs for Fellows & Residents
Designed specifically for trainees, with content calibrated to the unique pressures of graduate medical education. Can be structured as a longitudinal curriculum or intensive series. Helps institutions meet ACGME well-being requirements.
Institutionally Sponsored 1:1 Coaching for Physicians
Individual coaching for physicians your organization wants to invest in — emerging leaders, physicians in high-demand or high-burnout roles, new attendings, physicians navigating transitions, physicians returning from leave, or physicians you want to retain.
Leadership Development Workshops
Workshops for department leaders, chiefs, division heads, and physician executives focused on sustainable leadership, communication, and culture-building. Available for women in medicine programming, new leaders, and established physician executives.
Immersive Coaching Retreats
Full-day immersive retreat experiences that combine coaching, mindfulness, nervous system science, nature, and community building. Retreats are held at Nicasio Creek Farm in West Marin or can be facilitated at your location. Learn more about institutional retreats.
Custom Program Design
Not sure what format fits?
Many institutions combine formats — for example, a retreat kickoff followed by a virtual coaching series, or sponsored 1:1 coaching paired with leadership workshops.
I love designing specific programs tailored to your needs.
My program offerings are especially impactful for:
Emerging leaders and chiefs
Physicians in high-demand roles or high-burnout seasons
New attendings and early-career physicians
Women in medicine programs
Mid-career physicians navigating workload, leadership strain, or life transitions
Physicians returning from leave or recovering from burnout
Physicians with communication challenges
Physicians you want to retain
Why Most Wellness Initiatives Fall Short
The way we were taught to think during professional training helps us complete the arduous process of training, but it also makes it challenging to enjoy sustainable, satisfying, “well” careers.
These trained thought patterns add to the stress and distress of working in a broken system.
They seep into our personal lives, our parenting, and our intimate relationships.
It’s challenging to find offerings that feel meaningful rather than performative—especially for exhausted clinicians who have heard many well-intended but misguided solutions.
This work is grounded in what’s true about healthcare right now, honest about challenges on all sides, and oriented toward what actually helps.
Who Can Bring Coaching Programs to Their Organizations
Chief Wellness Officers & Wellness Directors seeking an evidence-based intervention that actually moves the needle — not another Zoom wellness event
Chief Medical Officers & VPs of Medical Affairs investing in physician retention, engagement, and workforce sustainability
GME Program Directors & Designated Institutional Officials supporting trainee well-being and meeting ACGME requirements
Department Chiefs & Division Leads building healthier team cultures
Women in Medicine Program Leaders creating meaningful professional development
Mentorship Program Directors looking to integrate coaching and mindfulness into existing mentorship structures
What Institutions and Physicians Report Happens After Coaching
After coaching, physicians and trainees report:
A shared language for what’s happening beneath the surface — and more compassion for each other
Practical tools to support nervous system regulation and sustainable performance
Perspective-shifting frameworks that get carried back into clinical practice the next day
A felt sense of collegiality, community, and being valued
Improved communication, reflective skills, and leadership clarity
“Well” teams are more productive. They function with more ease and efficiency — and provide higher quality care.
Feedback from Leaders in Healthcare
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“Thank you for your incredible dedication to wellness and helping our doctors find meaning and purpose in their work.”
— Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, CEO and Executive Director, The Permanente Medical Group
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“It’s evidence-based, thought-provoking, and necessary to practice in the economic and political environment of healthcare.”
— Chief Medical Officer, Jefferson Healthcare
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“Dr. Mahoney brings the complete package to any wellness event. She is a dynamic leader, innovative teacher, engaging facilitator, and inspirational speaker whom I hold in the highest regard.”
— Dr. John Chuck, Chief of Regional Physician Wellness, The Permanente Medical Group
In the words of physicians
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“I feel ten times more resilient to the stresses of being a doctor “
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“Coaching is an incredible value - we need more of this as physicians, and as humans.”
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“The tools I learned apply to so many areas of work and life. I am already seeing a difference in myself and my interactions.”
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“When I started coaching I felt like I had to save myself or be a doctor. Now I can take care of myself AND do my job well.”
Why do organizations choose to work with me on physician wellness?
I’m highly credible, relatable, and experienced. The programs I create for institutions and teams are effective and fun.
“I would attend any event facilitated by Dr. Mahoney anytime.” - Physician Providence Health
“Jessie is a fabulous facilitator. She is truly a deep, wise, curious, brilliant teacher.”-Assistant Physician in Chief, Chief Critical Care, TPMG
“This is what compassionate leadership looks like. Her message transcends healthcare."
Organizations continue to work with me over years: Stanford since 2020, Sutter Health ongoing since 2022, Providence Health in 2024 & 2025. American College of Cardiology 2024-2025, already confirmed for 2027-2028.
Frequently Asked Questions About Institutional Coaching for Healthcare Teams
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Institutional physician coaching is a structured, evidence-based professional development intervention where a trained physician coach works with groups of physicians or individual physicians within a healthcare organization. Unlike traditional wellness programs, coaching addresses the specific thought patterns, nervous system responses, and cultural conditioning that drive burnout, disengagement, and attrition in medicine. Programs can be delivered virtually, in-person, or as immersive retreat experiences.
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Most wellness workshops and resilience trainings are one-time educational events. They provide information but rarely create lasting behavioral change. Coaching is a sustained, skills-based intervention that builds over multiple sessions. Physicians develop practical tools they use immediately in clinical practice, leadership, and life. Research shows coaching produces measurable improvements in burnout, engagement, and professional fulfillment that persist over time — outcomes that single-session events typically don’t achieve.
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Coaching programs and wellness retreats serve different but complementary purposes. Virtual or in-person coaching programs (typically 6–12 sessions) build skills progressively over time and are ideal for creating sustained behavior change across larger groups. Immersive retreats create powerful, concentrated experiences that deepen connection, build trust, and accelerate learning through embodied, small-group formats. Many institutions combine both — for example, launching with a retreat and following with a virtual coaching series. Learn more about institutional retreats.
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Published randomized controlled trials show that physician coaching reduces burnout and emotional exhaustion and improves professional fulfillment, self-compassion, and workplace engagement. In our Sutter Health East Bay program, 100% of 79 participating physicians found the program helpful, 100% would recommend it to colleagues, and 75% reported feeling more hopeful. More than half reported feeling less stressed, less depleted, and less isolated. Additional outcomes include improved communication, greater agency in career decisions, and enhanced connection across specialties.
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Program investment varies by format, scope, and group size. I work with institutions to design programs that match both goals and budget.
It’s worth noting the cost of not investing: replacing a single physician costs an estimated $500,000 to $1 million.
Coaching is a targeted, high-impact investment in the physicians you want to keep. A planning conversation is the best way to explore options.
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Yes. CME accreditation can be arranged for coaching programs and retreats for an additional fee. You can also use your in-house CME office to accredit a program with me as the faculty.
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Yes. I have been leading a coaching program for fellows at Stanford since 2020. These programs can be structured as longitudinal curricula or intensive series and help institutions meet ACGME well-being requirements.
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Every engagement begins with a complimentary planning conversation. From there, I will recommend the format and scope that will create the most impact for your organization.
Let's Design the Best Program for Your Team
Every institution is different. I start with a complimentary planning conversation to understand your goals, team culture, and challenges — then recommend the format and scope that will create the most impact.
We’ll discuss:
The current challenges facing your team
Your goals — engagement, retention, connection, leadership, sustainability
The best format — coaching series, retreat, GME program, sponsored coaching, or a combination
Logistics — timing, group size, virtual or in-person, budget range