A War on Burnout: What Medicine Can Learn from Combat Aviation
I’ve been on call. I’ve worked 7 days a week for months on end. I’ve shifted from ‘days’ to ‘nights’ in the same week. I’ve sprung to action at 2am to perform life-saving work. And looking back, I can say I was severely burnt out.
This was the life of an attack helicopter pilot in combat.
In 2009 my aviation brigade took over responsibility for northeast Afghanistan. Our mission was to support the troops on the ground with aircraft that, in my case, were underpowered (single engine) and technologically inferior. When most people think of the Global War on Terror they think of Americans fighting in the desert – but this was unforgiving, mountainous terrain.
We ran 24-hour operations. As a Captain, I was administratively responsible for 7 aircraft and 20 soldiers, split between pilots and maintainers. But I was also the “attending” pilot, held to the same standards of skill, judgement, and proficiency in the aircraft as the pilots under my command.
Combat leadership time is precious, and half way through my 12 month deployment I yielded my role to a junior officer and transitioned to a ‘battle captain’ at a different base, in Jalalabad (where the Osama bin Laden raid originated). This meant that, for 12 hours a day, I’d brief aircrews on the day’s scheduled missions and divert them to emergencies like MEDEVAC requests and troops in contact.
The next 6 months were one of the most challenging chapters of my life. My sleep suffered as a result of assuming the “swing” shift, which meant I’d cover day shifts half the week, fly for a day, then cover ‘nights’ until I flew again on Sunday, when the schedule would reset. This was compounded by the emotional toll of high intensity combat operations, both personally in the cockpit and while directing critical aviation assets to fellow Americans having the worst day of their lives. I launched the MEDEVAC for a close personal friend who was badly injured, and routinely transported the dead and wounded from the battlefield. It was brutal.
Since joining Arena Labs I’ve realized that this is the paradigm of medical professionals in the ER and ICUs of America every single day. Failure and loss of life are part of the job. The ‘service archetypes’ of society – whether it be in the military or medicine – raise their hand to serve a higher purpose and it takes a heavy toll on the individual.
Without the tools to manage stress and pressure I largely ignored my physiology. Passive monitoring of sleep and recovery with wearables didn’t exist yet. Resources were limited, the days were long, but when there’s a ground force commander – or patient – that needs you, you show up and accomplish the mission.
This is why Arena’s work resonates with me. Civil servants providing medical care are operating in an environment roughly equivalent to a prolonged combat deployment. Sleep suffers, exercise becomes a luxury, and neither are equipped with tools or coaching to endure. It’s no surprise that clinicians are burning out and leaving the field of medicine, sometimes with 20+ years of schooling, due to the demands of modern healthcare.
Enter Arena Strive: the first data-driven approach to understanding and mitigating burnout for frontline healthcare workers. The 8-week experience leverages 3 inputs: a wearable sensor, a performance coach, and a curated learning journey of tools proven effective in other high-stress, high-stakes fields like Olympic sport and elite military units. Arena is partnering with pioneering leaders who recognize that this isn’t just another wellness program – this is a secret weapon in the midst of a burnout epidemic and a hyper-competitive labor market.
Strive is scientifically rigorous, proven to reduce burnout by 30% in an IRB study with a major US health system. It incorporates cutting edge research in performance science, taught by experts, through a tech-enabled platform asking for just 5 minutes a day. The coaches are world-class, trained to understand and address the most common challenges of modern medicine in a private, supportive way.
A higher standard for wellbeing is here, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to introduce our work to those on the frontlines of a different battlefield. If you’re a healthcare leader, or know one, connect with me directly and take the first step towards a transformational culture shift at your hospital.
The Arena team is ready to serve.
Get in touch hello@arenalabs.co.