Jess Bunin, MD, Challenges Healthcare Leaders to Lead From the Inside Out in Her New Book

Self-Awareness and Trust: Leading Healthcare Teams from the Inside Out explores how authentic leadership can build stronger teams and transform healthcare

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — As healthcare providers face burnout, overwhelming demands, and growing pressure across the system, physician and military leader Jess Bunin, MD, argues that meaningful change begins with the leader. In her new book, Self-Awareness and Trust: Leading Healthcare Teams from the Inside Out, Dr. Bunin explores how self-awareness, authenticity, vulnerability, and trust can transform healthcare teams and strengthen the relationships at the heart of patient care.

“I wrote this book because I genuinely believe these are concepts we need to get out into the world,” Dr. Bunin says. “The current state of healthcare is devastatingly sad and overwhelming, and many healthcare providers are choosing to opt out of the system because of it. We need to make a difference. We need to fix it.”

According to the American Medical Association, 41.9% of U.S. physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2025. Dr. Bunin believes addressing the crisis requires more than organizational changes—it requires leaders willing to examine themselves first.

A critical care physician, combat-zone physician, and three-time cancer survivor, Dr. Bunin draws on experiences that have shaped her approach to leadership. She served in Iraq and Afghanistan, cared for patients and families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and experienced healthcare from both sides of the examination room.

The book is divided into three parts: building self-awareness, building trust in teams, and transforming healthcare. Combining personal stories with research-based leadership strategies, Dr. Bunin examines the mistakes, challenges, and moments of reflection that have shaped her own leadership journey.

“Each of these stories represents times when I made a lot of mistakes, honestly. I learned from every one of them,” Dr. Bunin says. “The only reason I grew is that I did the work of self-reflection first. That’s the whole premise of the book: you can’t build trust with a team until you’ve done that inside work yourself.”

Dr. Bunin’s experiences as a three-time cancer survivor have also influenced how she approaches medicine and human connection. “Those experiences have changed how I view the world, how I practice medicine, and how I connect with patients,” she says.

Although the book focuses on healthcare, its leadership principles extend beyond medicine. Brad Johnson, PhD, and David Smith, PhD, authors of Fair Share, describe it as “the book 21st-century leaders have been waiting for,” highlighting Dr. Bunin’s emphasis on humility, authenticity, curiosity, and trust.

Howard Ross, author of Everyday Bias and Our Search for Belonging, praises Dr. Bunin’s approach to transforming the human experience of leadership, while General Dan Allyn, U.S. Army, Retired, the 35th Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, calls the book a “MUST-read” for learning leaders and emphasizes the broad applicability of its lessons.

At its core, Self-Awareness and Trust challenges leaders to look inward rather than simply adopt another leadership formula.

“This book does not ask anyone to change who they are to be a better leader of teams,” Dr. Bunin says. “Instead, it asks all of us to become more fully ourselves, to become our best selves.”

Click here to order copies: https://bit.ly/4wGJS8W

About Jess Bunin, MD

Jess Bunin, MD, MHPE, FACP, FCCM, CEC, is a physician leader, retired U.S. Army Colonel, executive coach, professor, speaker, and author. A West Point and Tulane University School of Medicine graduate, she served 23 years in the Army, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. A critical care physician and three-time cancer survivor, Dr. Bunin draws on her experiences in medicine, military service, and leadership to help healthcare professionals build self-awareness, trust, and stronger teams. She is the author of Self-Awareness and Trust: Leading Healthcare Teams from the Inside Out.

To learn more, please visit: https://jessbuninmd.com/

Jess Bunin, MD, is available for interviews.

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Boundless Media USA
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