Spotlight on Joy: A Conversation with Amber Orman, MD, DipABLM, FACLM

Chief Wellness Officer | AdventHealth | Florida Division

Chief Wellness Officer | AdventHealth Medical Group

Radiation Oncology Specialists, Breast Section

Co-Founder of HEAL Cancer | Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Specialist

Sustainable Service

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you to physician/APP well-being.

From early in life, I’ve been guided by two deeply held principles: service to others and the importance of caring for oneself. Over time, I came to understand that these two commitments are inseparable. Sustainable service requires a strong foundation of personal well-being.

That understanding shaped my path in medicine. Alongside my conventional medical training, I pursued additional study in functional medicine and lifestyle medicine because I believe healing requires attention to the whole person. This philosophy has guided how I care for patients and how I think about health, resilience, and purpose.

Over time, my passion for leadership naturally expanded beyond patient care to supporting my peers. Today I have the privilege of serving as Chief Wellness Officer for the AdventHealth Florida Division, where my focus is on supporting the well-being of the physicians and APPs who give so much of themselves in service of others.

There is no greater honor than serving those who dedicate their lives to caring for patients and communities. As leaders in healthcare, we carry a responsibility to create environments where physicians and APPs can thrive. When we care for the caregivers, we strengthen the entire system of care.

Renewal Through Purpose

Has there been a figure or experience in your life that compelled you to become a part of the well-being conversation?

Some difficult experiences during my childhood gave me an early awareness of how essential love, belonging, and human connection are to our well-being. Experiencing hardship at a young age pushed me to reflect deeply on purpose and meaning earlier than most.

Those experiences ultimately gave me a broader perspective on life. I developed the habit of stepping back when challenges arise—what I often think of as “telescoping out”—to reconnect with the larger purpose behind the work.

Medicine inevitably presents moments of difficulty, suffering, and uncertainty. Returning to that broader perspective has been essential for me personally, and it is something I now try to help others rediscover as well.

This mindset naturally led me into the physician and APP well-being space. Much of this work centers on helping people reconnect with purpose and belonging in the midst of demanding and emotionally complex work. When physicians and APPs reconnect with why they chose medicine, it can be incredibly renewing.

HEALing the Healers

What is one project or initiative you’ve been a part of that has made a positive impact in your healthcare circles? What were some of the challenges you had to overcome?

One initiative that has been especially meaningful is our HEAL the Healer Summits. These gatherings are intentionally designed to give physicians and APPs the space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper purpose behind their work.

Over the years, the summits have evolved as we’ve listened closely to participants and refined the experience each year. We’ve moved beyond surface-level presentations to create opportunities for meaningful dialogue and reflection that help participants realign with their personal values and rediscover meaning in both their personal and professional lives.

What makes these gatherings powerful is the sense of shared humanity they foster. Physicians and APPs often carry the emotional weight of their work quietly and independently. When they come together in a space that encourages openness, reflection, and connection, it can be deeply renewing.

One of the challenges in well-being work is that the impact is not always easily captured through traditional metrics. The return on investment often appears in renewed purpose, stronger relationships among colleagues, and a deeper sense of meaning in the work of medicine. These outcomes may be difficult to measure, but they are essential to sustaining the people who sustain healthcare.

Lead Self, Lead Others

What sentiment would you like to leave for those looking to enter the conversation on well-being?

Well-being work requires authentic leadership and deep personal commitment. It begins with self-leadership—the recognition that those who seek to support others must first cultivate their own well-being.

This work also requires the courage to move close to suffering and hold space for it. The practice of medicine is profoundly meaningful, but it can also be devastating at times. Physicians and APPs witness grief, loss, and moral distress in ways that are not always visible to the outside world.

Leaders in this space must be willing to acknowledge those realities while helping their colleagues reconnect with purpose, resilience, and community. It is not easy work, but it is essential.

Through my work with AdventHealth and alongside colleagues in the Coalition for Physician & APP Well-Being, I’m continually reminded that this effort is larger than any single organization. It is a shared commitment to sustaining the people who care for others.

When we lead with authenticity, compassion, and courage, we help physicians and APPs continue the work they were called to do—while remembering to care for themselves along the way.

Thank you to Amber Orman, MD, DipABLM, FACLM for participating in the Spotlight on Joy series! Dr. Orman is an active Board Member of the Coalition for Physician & APP Well-Being as of May 2026. Dr. Orman is also the creator of the HEAL Healer Chat series, a monthly webinar dedicated to wholeness through lifestyle medicine.