Everything changes when people feel connected, supported, and inspired.
“I’m truly happier than I ever have been in my life. I feel like my work makes a difference. I feel like my workplace is a family. I would choose this residency over and over and over again if given the chance. Thank you for fostering a place of growth and warmth.”
When basic psychological needs are met and practice efficiency is addressed, people experience the sense that they matter, their work matters, and that they’re growing capable (Anne Brafford, JD, PhD, MAPP). Discover how HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education’s 5-Pillar Approach — Autonomy, Belonging, Competence, Deep Meaning, and Efficiency of Practice — turns this principle into reality, creating environments where residents thrive and feel this way.
Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life. Our mission here at HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education extends beyond our patients and includes all our colleagues - resident and fellow physicians, faculty physicians, administration, and the myriads of other team members who make GME possible at HCA Healthcare. Our goal is to apply evidence-based and expert-informed approaches to improving the lives of our healthcare team.
Learn more about our story
At HCA Healthcare, our mission to care for and improve human life begins with the well-being of those who deliver that care: our clinical care teams. Their dedication to excellence raises a vital question: How can we create work and learning environments that support not only professional achievement but also personal fulfillment? This question was first posed nearly a decade ago by Dr. Greg Guldner, when launching the Emergency Medicine residency program at HCA Healthcare Riverside. Recognizing the need for evidence-based solutions, HCA Healthcare partnered with Claremont Graduate University (CGU) to establish the Physician Wellness Research Lab (PWR Lab), a team of organizational and workplace psychologists focused on identifying and influencing the environmental factors that shape physician well-being.
The collaboration began in 2015, when CGU graduate students studied an HCA Healthcare hospital to design a wellness program for the new residency. Their recommendations led to measurable improvements in physician well-being, prompting HCA Healthcare to support a series of nationwide longitudinal studies. These studies confirmed that key variables in the approach — such as meaningful work, autonomy-supportive leadership, psychological capital, and social support — predict lower burnout and depression, and higher fulfillment among resident physicians.
As the research evolved, so did the urgency to apply its findings. Dr. Guldner and his team led efforts to scale this approach nationally, and the COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the importance of these variables, with a 2020 study showing they helped buffer the negative psychological impacts of the crisis.
HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education’s approach to well-being was born from this foundation. It goes beyond isolated wellness events or resilience training, aiming instead to transform the very environments in which physicians work and learn. Guided by two complementary theories —Job Demands-Resources Theory and Self-Determination Theory — our approach examines the built environment, policies, procedures, and operations, and interpersonal relationships to shift conditions from need-thwarting to need-supporting. In practice, this means creating systems that nurture the three basic psychological needs identified by Self-Determination Theory: Autonomy (my actions are endorsed and aligned with my values), Belonging (feeling understood and connected with my community), and Competence (self-mastery and sense of growth). When these needs are supported and the efficiency of practice is addressed, residents experience deeper meaning, well-being, and purpose.
In 2022, a pilot study with psychologists Dr. Rich Ryan and Dr. Scott Rigby deepened our understanding of how to teach autonomy-supportive practices to leaders and faculty. These interventions are designed not only to reduce negative states like burnout and depression but also to cultivate positive states such as joy, optimism, meaning, competence, and growth.
At HCA Healthcare, we believe that well-being is not a byproduct; it’s a goal. Achieving it requires a research-driven, systemic approach that empowers physicians to thrive both professionally and personally. In his role as Chief Wellness and Retention Officer for HCA Healthcare Clinical Services Group, Dr. Guldner has since led nationwide efforts with his team, Julia Deaton and Lily Martin, to establish and implement a new approach to well-being. Through national summits, ongoing programming, faculty development, and curated resources, they are working to embed the principles of physician well-being into the fabric of residency training. Their efforts aim to ensure that every learning environment supports not just clinical excellence, but also the personal growth and well-being of the physicians who serve within it.
Partnering for a Brighter Future – HCA Healthcare and Claremont Graduate University Physician Wellness Research Lab
The Physician Wellness Research Lab (PWR Lab) is a collaboration between HCA Healthcare and Claremont Graduate University dedicated to improving the health and well-being of practicing clinicians. Guided by psychological theories — including Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and the Job Demands-Resources Theory (Demerouti et al., 2001) — the lab conducts research aimed at optimizing the work and learning environment and supporting clinicians’ mental health. In addition to disseminating findings through publications and presentations, the lab supports the organization through initiatives like surveying residents and fellows at entry and exit, facilitating workshops, and translating scientific evidence into practical strategies. We work with lab director, Jason SIegel, PhD and his research associates to develop evidence-based approaches that make a tangible impact.
Meet Our Team
Greg Guldner, MD, MS
Chief Wellness and Retention Officer, HCA Healthcare Clinical Services Group
Julia Deaton
Curriculum Manager, HCA Healthcare Clinical Services Group
Lily Martin
Education Coordinator, HCA Healthcare Clinical Services Group