Belonging, Calling, and Virtue: Dr. Ted Hamilton & Dr. Carla Park on What Protects Healthcare Professionals from Burnout
In this episode, we’re joined by two leaders from AdventHealth who have spent decades thinking deeply about the well-being of healthcare professionals: Dr. Ted Hamilton, family physician, longtime mission executive, and national voice on clinician well-being; and Dr. Carla Park, Vice President of Whole-Person Care, Education & Integration. Together, they led a new peer-reviewed study of CMDA members published in the journal, Religions 2025, that revealed something striking: Christian healthcare professionals reported significantly lower burnout than the broader healthcare population, and three factors tended to rise and fall together in those who were thriving: belonging, calling, and virtue. Through practical insights and personal stories, Drs. Hamilton and Park highlight how faith not only sustains healthcare professionals but also equips them to lead and care more deeply for their patients, colleagues, and themselves.
If you’re looking for practical ways to bring the hope of Christ into your everyday patient care
with sensitivity and respect, consider joining us for a Saline Process Witness Training event in
November. It’s a 10-hour training designed to equip healthcare professionals with practical
tools for integrating faith into patient interactions. You’ll learn how to take a spiritual history,
pray with patients, and foster real-time connections with God in the clinical setting.
Upcoming dates include: Toronto, Canada on November 1, Louisville, KY on November 5–6,
and Dallas–Fort Worth on November 14–15.
For details and registration for any of our upcoming events, visit cmda.org/saline-process.
To learn more about the wide range of resources we offer at CMDA to support you in your
calling – from the CMDA GO! mobile app for community and event access, to nearly 400 online
courses available through our Learning Center – visit us at cmda.org. You’ll also find the
Healthwise PSA radio library, a faith-based bookstore, the quarterly CMDA Today magazine,
and the new The Point of Medicine forum, all designed to help you live out your faith with
excellence and compassion throughout your professional journey.
Video Podcast:
Meet Our Guest(s):
Dr. Ted Hamilton has built a distinguished career spanning over four decades in healthcare, combining his expertise in clinical medicine with robust experience in administration.
Dr. Hamilton earned his MD degree from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, graduating with the Class of 1973. Following his medical education, he became Board Certified by the American Academy of Family Practice in 1977. He began his clinical practice by serving the community through family medicine in rural western North Carolina from 1974 to 1979.
Transitioning into medical education, Dr. Hamilton took on the role of Family Practice Residency Director at Florida Hospital (now known as AdventHealth Orlando) from 1980 to 1987. During this time, he broadened his administrative skills by obtaining an MBA from Rollins College in 1987. His career from that point forward has been marked by a variety of clinical and administrative healthcare opportunities across different locations.
On a personal note, Dr. Hamilton is dedicated to his family, having celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary in July 2019. In his time away from professional duties, he enjoys a number of outdoor hobbies, including gardening, birding, and various outdoor sports.
Dr. Carla Park, PhD, MPH, MS is currently Vice President of Whole Person Care Education and Integration at AdventHealth Corporate (Mission and Ministry) and has taught whole person care in medical school and residency programs for more than 20 years.
