Female physicians working in nonrural practices deliver care more frequently via telehealth, according to a Sept. 3 study published in Health Affairs. 

Physician productivity is a focal point of success for healthcare organizations, but many are slow to adopt formal onboarding practices, according to a Sept. 5 article by the American Medical Association. 

Advocate Health is taking significant strides toward addressing burnout and fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for its physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) through its "Best Place to Care" initiative. With a focus on enhancing engagement and wellness among clinicians, the initiative takes a comprehensive approach to improving well-being by emphasizing transparency, community building and workflow improvements.

Independence versus employment is something that weighs on physicians across the country as reimbursement rates decline, operational costs soar and corporations continue to make sweeping buyouts. 

Talks between over 800 resident physicians at the University of Buffalo (N.Y.) and University Medical Resident Services are at a stalemate after the union representing the physicians rejected the university's most recent offer, reported WIVB News 4 Aug. 28. 

Here are three updates on physician unions since Aug. 1, as reported by Becker's:

For many physicians, weighing the scales of independence and employment comes down to leverage.

Johns Hopkins will begin waiving tuition for all students from families earning less than $300,000 a year after it received a $1 billion gift from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Union officials for a Massachusetts healthcare workers union vented their frustrations over delays in Steward Health Care's bankruptcy proceedings. 

The physician burnout rate dropped below 50% for the first time in four years, according to a survey by the American Medical Association. 

Between increased workloads due to staffing shortages, insufficient pay and a growing lack of autonomy in employed settings,  unionization has breached a number of health systems and physician communities. 

After months of negotiations, physicians and fellows at Bakersfield, Calif.-based Kern Medical Center reached an agreement with hospital management, according to an Aug. 7 news release shared with Becker's.  

The last 10 years have seen a notable drop in the share of physicians who are independently employed. 

Norfolk, Va.,-based Sentara Health plans to roughly double the amount of residency and fellowship positions offered through the system, according to an Aug. 5 Williamsburg Yorktown Daily report. 

Amid labor shortages, consolidation and increased demand for healthcare services, physician employment is a complex environment. 

Sound Physicians will lay off 98 employees in Tucson, Ariz., according to regulatory documents filed with the state July 30.

Washington, D.C. has the highest number of physicians per capita — seven times more than Idaho, the state with the fewest, according to an analysis by financial management website WalletHub.

Improving the practice of medicine for physicians has been a priority for many in the healthcare industry — and efforts are finally beginning to pay off.

Artificial intelligence is being used across the medical industry, from assisting with highly complex procedures to improving diagnostic accuracy. It could also be a powerful tool in the fight against physician burnout. 

Resident physicians are often expected to reside in the hospital and put in long hours for considerably less pay, based on the notion that they are training within  their respective fields. But with inflation and labor shortages on the rise, could these expectations be harming residents?