Physicians are frequently encouraged to become more resilient. They are advised to manage stress, establish boundaries, and develop healthier routines. Yet those recommendations can leave an uncomfortable question unanswered: What happens when the system itself is contributing to the problem?
For pediatrician Athena Hall, founder of ZNA Health Network, that question emerged through years of practicing medicine in markedly different environments.
From rural communities in the United States to a teaching hospital in Rwanda, Hall witnessed how healthcare systems could either support or undermine the professionals working within them, regardless of their commitment to patients.
Those experiences now inform The Agency Lab, a 12-week group program launching November 30, 2026, designed to help physicians experiencing burnout or career uncertainty reclaim control over their professional decisions.
What Different Healthcare Environments Revealed
Working across healthcare settings exposed Hall to different approaches to organizing and delivering medical care.
While the circumstances varied, she recognized a recurring concern: Dedicated physicians could find their ability to practice medicine shaped, and sometimes restricted, by the systems surrounding them.
That observation challenged the assumption that professional dissatisfaction is primarily a matter of individual endurance.
Hall began questioning why physicians were expected to continually adjust to systems that were not functioning well, rather than being encouraged to participate in improving them.
“Physicians aren’t losing their love of medicine, they’re losing their ability to practice it in ways that align with why they chose it,” she says.
Her perspective draws attention to a distinction that can be overlooked in conversations about burnout. A physician may remain committed to medicine while struggling with the conditions under which that commitment must be fulfilled.
Moving Beyond Individual Resilience
The Agency Lab approaches physician burnout through the relationship between individual experience and healthcare’s organizational structure.
Over 12 weeks, participants will examine the influences shaping their professional lives, clarify their priorities, and consider available options.
The program does not assume that every physician should remain in the same position or pursue the same solution.
Some may find opportunities to improve their existing practice environments. Others may explore different career paths or recognize that taking time away is necessary.
Hall’s goal is to help physicians make these decisions thoughtfully, rather than allowing prolonged frustration or exhaustion to dictate their futures.
This approach places professional agency at the center of the conversation.
Why Physician Autonomy Matters
Hall’s work extends beyond individual career decisions.
Through ZNA Health Network, she is developing a community of healthcare professionals, community leaders, and allies committed to reimagining healthcare through collaboration, education, and community-centered approaches.
Her experiences practicing in the United States and Rwanda helped shape her understanding that healthcare systems influence both the people receiving care and those responsible for providing it.
For Hall, meaningful change requires examining how institutions function and whether their structures support the professionals working within them.
“The system we inherited doesn’t have to be the system we help create,” she says.
Creating Room for a Different Future
The Agency Lab’s first cohort begins November 30, 2026. Hall is also planning a public physician event for early February 2027 to continue discussions about professional autonomy and healthcare change.
The program offers physicians an opportunity to reconsider their professional circumstances without assuming that greater resilience is always the answer.
Hall believes physicians should be able to examine their options, question existing structures, and make decisions that reflect their values.
Her work suggests that addressing physician burnout requires a broader conversation about the systems shaping medical practice and the choices available to those working within them.
Learn More
Visit www.znahealthnetwork.com to learn more about The Agency Lab and ZNA Health Network. Follow @zna.health.network on Instagram for program announcements and updates.