Burnout among healthcare workers has reached significant levels, with a 2022 Centers for Disease Control report showing that 46% of health workers reported feeling burned out often or very often, compared to 38% in 2018. In response, faculty from the University of Central Florida’s Academic Health Sciences Center have developed RenewU, a free virtual toolkit designed to build resilience and support well-being for healthcare providers, students, clinics, and hospitals.
RenewU offers ten evidence-based interventions aimed at preventing burnout and promoting resilience in high-stress environments. The program was created by faculty from UCF’s Colleges of Health Professions and Sciences, Medicine, and Nursing. It is supported by a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which seeks to address rising burnout rates among healthcare professionals.
“Burnout has emerged as a growing epidemic among healthcare providers,” said Magdelena Pasarica, assistant dean for medical education at the College of Medicine. “They need to manage the inherent stress of the profession through healthy behaviors. We wanted to create a virtual, free resource that will work for everyone — whether you’re in a huge academic medical center or a clinic in rural Arkansas.”
Laurie Neely, associate professor of physical therapy at UCF and one of the creators of RenewU, emphasized the importance of workplace wellness: “Promoting health and wellness among healthcare professionals allows us to better care for our patients. It is also important that healthcare systems address the problem and promote a workplace that fosters health and wellness among their employees.”
The UCF team found that many online resources lacked evidence-based backing or had not been studied for effectiveness. To address this gap, they incorporated practices recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force into RenewU. The toolkit provides information and guides suitable for individuals, teams, and health systems leaders who want to implement resiliency support across their workforce. Materials are available in both clinical and lay language formats to serve both clinical and non-clinical staff. The toolkit includes self-directed learning activities, group interactions, reflection opportunities, and continuing education credits for licensed providers.
Mental wellness topics covered include stress management techniques such as mindfulness, psychological detachment from work, setting boundaries, behavioral modification strategies, and managing stress during challenging situations. Video content features mental health experts offering guidance on coping with self-doubt or feelings of being overwhelmed.
“We selected these evidence-based interventions with intention, keeping in mind the fast-paced and often unpredictable nature of healthcare environments,” said Asli Yalim, associate professor in UCF’s School of Social Work. “The practices in this toolkit go beyond generic five- or ten-minute mental health tips. They offer practical, meaningful strategies tailored specifically for healthcare providers to support healthier decision-making in both work and life.”
Physical wellness resources focus on active rest options like desk exercises or walking breaks as well as nutrition advice including recipes—such as baked salmon with vegetables—and instructional videos led by a licensed yoga instructor.
The program was piloted with 761 learners from AHSC—including physicians training through College of Medicine-HCA Healthcare residencies—and involved community clinicians across seven Central Florida organizations. At Orlando’s Grace Medical Home staff participated in active rest exercises during lunch while using all available resources free-of-charge.
To ensure educational quality the creators used the Kirkpatrick Model—a globally recognized method—to evaluate content rigor.
RenewU contributed to UCF receiving the National Award for Institutional Excellence and Innovation in Interprofessional Education from the Association of Schools Advancing Health. The program is now part of required interprofessional curriculum at AHSC; students from UCF’s College of Medicine joined peers from University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy for a five-week virtual course on stress management using Yellowdig’s platform to encourage collaborative learning across four campuses.
Results from RenewU have been shared at national and international conferences as well as published in peer-reviewed journals. Despite limited promotion so far more than 2,500 users—including those from Canada, Ireland, Sweden,and Germany—have accessed its resources.
