The Impact of Rx Kids on Pediatrician Wellness and Burnout: A Thematic Analysis

Abstract Background: Pediatrician burnout is a national crisis with implications for provider mental health, patient care, and workforce recruitment and retention. Multiple factors influence physician burnout rates, including caring for medically vulnerable children and the limited ability to treat upstream social drivers of health. A maternal and infant health program designed to treat perinatal poverty, Rx Kids is the nation’s first universal and unconditional prenatal and infant cash transfer program that pediatricians can prescribe from 16 weeks gestational age through babies’ first year of life. The objective of this study is to assess the influence of prescribing cash (Rx Kids) on pediatrician wellness and burnout. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pediatric attending and resident physicians practicing in Flint, MI, USA. Respondents were asked about baseline Rx Kids knowledge, perceived program impact on patient care, perceived program impact on their practice as a healthcare worker, and perceived program impact on their work satisfaction. Responses were analyzed using Braun and Clarke Thematic Analysis. This study was approved by the Hurley Medical Center Institutional Review Board. Results: Seven pediatric resident physicians and three pediatric attending physicians at Hurley Medical Center were included in the analysis (mean age = 32 years; range: 27 to 41 years). Nine respondents identified as female, and one as male. Five response themes were identified, including improved job satisfaction and professional fulfillment, strengthened physician–patient relationships, enhanced decision-making and use of time, system and community impact on physician well-being, and opportunities for advocacy and education. Conclusions: Pediatric physicians and residents perceived access to Rx Kids as strengthening patient trust with families, improving doctor–patient communication, enhancing care delivery, bolstering job satisfaction, and reinforcing their role as advocates—outcomes known to promote physician wellness while reducing burnout risk. Findings are preliminary but suggest equipping pediatricians with upstream interventions that target social drivers of child health benefits patient care quality and physician health and wellness, with important implications for workforce well-being and sustainability. Future research should expand this work across additional Rx Kids sites and maternal–child health professionals, including obstetricians, and incorporate validated measures of burnout and well-being.