Supporting "Bleeders" and "Billers": How Safety-Net Administrators Mitigate Provider Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.

ABSTRACT

Organizational factors impacting burnout have been underexplored among providers in low-income, minority-serving, safety-net settings. Our team interviewed 14 health care administrators, serving as key decision makers in Federally Qualified Health Center primary care clinics. Using a semistructured interview guide, we explored burnout mitigation strategies and elements of organizational culture and practice. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using the Braun and Clark (2006) Thematic Analysis method. Mission-Driven Ethos to Mitigate Provider Burnout emerged as the primary theme with 2 categories (1) Promoting the Mission "Bleeders" and (2) Competing Priorities "Billers." These categories represent various properties and reflect administrators' use of organizational mission statement as a driver of staff recruitment, training, retention, and stratification. Data collection occurred before and during the COVID-19 global pandemic, as such additional themes associated with administrative behaviors during a prolonged, clinical crisis provide insight into possible strategies that may mitigate burnout in this setting.