RATIONALE: Health worker burnout has reached crisis proportions, threatening workforce sustainability. Limited data exist on the burden of burnout in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine (PCCSM), a high-demand and strained specialty. OBJECTIVE: At the Assembly of Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology of the American Thoracic Society, we aimed to gather exploratory data on burnout in this group. METHODS: During a dedicated series of five virtual town halls (THs), we polled the audience regarding self-reported burnout. Topics included the scope of the problem, role of sleep, impact on clinical and academic operations, contributors in vulnerable groups, and mitigation strategies. RESULTS: A high proportion experienced burnout (45%) and 58% considered premature retirement. Insufficient sleep (53%) was common, most often due to excessive workload (57%) curtailing sleep through early morning meetings and electronic medical record (EMR) documentation. 36% also reported having a sleep disorder. Sleepiness (69%) and fatigue (58%) impaired work performance and patient care, and 54% reported a fatigue-related, personal-safety incident. Contributors to burnout in vulnerable communities included bias/discrimination (81%), harassment (44%) and assault (12%). Respondents predominantly endorsed organizational mitigating strategies: promoting a culture of "recovery time" (96%) and healthy sleep (86%), and periodic evaluation and accountability of leadership (86%). CONCLUSIONS: In this convenience sample of participants in a TH series regarding burnout in PCCSM, self-reported burnout was common. Sleep disturbance is a prevalent, under-recognized, but potentially modifiable contributor. The high reported rates of discrimination and harassment suggest that vulnerable groups may be at particular risk. To reduce burnout, system-level interventions aimed at transforming organizational culture and promoting leadership accountability were strongly endorsed.