Around this time of year, many professionals start feeling a little burned out. The work mounts, you always have to do extra before and after vacation, and many of us feel we need a vacation from our vacation. 

Healthcare providers, it turns out, really have it worst than most, however. In 2011, the Mayo Clinic did a study of healthcare provider burnout and found that the situation was dire, with about 45% of providers showing signs of burnout. 

The bad news, however, is that it's only getting worse. The study was repeated in 2015, and findings were that close to 55% of providers are burned out. And, of course, medicine can't be performed effectively when medical providers are deeply unhappy or just not at their best. 

So what can be done in a situation that seems only to worsen with each passing year? Well, there are a lot of myths about the origins and consequences of the burnout situation in medicine. But, as the Mayo Clinic study, points out, there are some very real and concrete possibilities when it comes to positive impacting this dynamic.

Most saliently -- removing some of the obstacles that provdiers face in doing their job. The things that jump out to us the key ways this needs to happen are: 

• Improve workflow. As the study reports, "The consensus on a possible solution points to first improving the clerical and procedural efficiencies associated with a medical practice.”
• Make it easier to do the healthcare collaboration so necessary to care coordination and cost decreases. Find a simple, telemedicine-based solution to do healthcare collaboration on your schedule, with hardware you already have. It's key to care coordination, it's key to feeling connected and in control, and it's key to keeping costs and good care under control.
• Take the time you need to rest and refresh. It's not ever easy and it's not always possible, but when you are able to take time for yourself -- do it.

This week, we're wishing you a bit of breathing room in one of the hardest jobs around. We certainly applaud your efforts -- and we're in the trenches with you. Click to read a bit of inspiration on your colleagues who are also fighting the odds to do healthcare collaboration: