Addressing Moral Injury and Burnout Across Practice Settings: Creating Psychologically Safe Environments for Otolaryngologists

Monday, October 19, 2026

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM PT

Location: 404B

Moderator(s)

Michael Ian Orestes, MD

Staff Laryngologist
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Panelist(s)

AP

Angela M. Powell, MD

Founder and Owner
Plattsburgh ENT
Plattsburgh, NY, United States
NJ

Nausheen Jamal, MD, MBA

Harry Carothers Wiess Professor & Chair of Otolaryngology-HNS
University of Texas Medical Branch Dept of Otolaryngolgy
Galveston, TX, United States
LH

Lakeisha R. Henry, MD

Associate Partner ENTC/Clinical Associate Professor, Dept of Surgery, USUHS
Ear Nose & Throat Consultants of Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Disclosure(s):

Angela M. Powell, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Nausheen Jamal, MD, MBA:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Burnout and moral injury threaten physician well-being and patient safety across otolaryngology practice settings. This panel explores evidence-based strategies to create psychologically safe environments that prevent both conditions. Attendees will learn to distinguish moral injury from burnout, understand how organizational factors to include administrative burden, lack of autonomy, and institutional constraints contribute to these conditions, and implement practical interventions. The session covers structured reflection programs, leadership development, professional coaching, and culture change initiatives proven to reduce distress. Emphasis on psychological safety as a protective factor, with data showing 27% lower burnout odds in psychologically safe workplaces.

Learning Objectives:

Distinguish moral injury from burnout
Implement evidence-based leadership behaviors to enhance psychological safety
Design institutional interventions to address moral injury and burnout