![An outdoor staircase surrounded by trees](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2023/01/n21143219/jcr:content/image.img.cq5dam.thumbnail.500.500.jpg/1674850149678.jpg)
IHI: The uphill climb to achieving workplace well-being
UC's Molano discusses insights on encouraging joy in health care settings
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems were under extra strain in recent years, including high staff turnover, staffing shortages and low morale.
The pandemic only exacerbated these issues, highlighting the need for intentional workforce well-being strategies. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) facilitates the Joy & Workforce Well-Being Results-Oriented Learning Network (ROLN), an initiative designed for health care organizations looking to boost joy in work, increase staff engagement and productivity and improve the overall quality of care and experience for staff and patients.
IHI highlighted the experience of several participants in the program, including the University of Cincinnati's Jennifer Molano, MD. Molano said health care staff are often already stretched thin, so efforts at improving joy and well-being in the workforce can sometimes just be an additional task.
“How do you frame this work in a way that it’s not just one other item on the to-do list?” asked Molano, associate professor in UC's College of Medicine.
Some staff members also wondered whether joy was appropriate in a health care setting since they are dealing with many ill people. But Molano noted staff well-being is connected to patient outcomes.
“It was a big aha moment for me that our patients care about [care provider well-being] because it directly affects them,” she said.
Read a previous IHI article featuring Molano published Nov. 21, 2022.
Featured image at top courtesy of Unsplash.
Related Stories
CureToday: UC enrolling patients for glioblastoma trial
March 29, 2022
CureToday highlighted the University of Cincinnati's new glioblastoma immunotherapy trial in a recent article.
55KRC: UC researchers examine role of stress in Parkinson's disease
March 8, 2022
University of Cincinnati researchers Kim Seroogy, Teresa Reyes and James Herman were featured on 55KRC's Simply Medicine program to discuss their research into the role of stress in Parkinson's disease.
Five to Thrive Live features UC's Sengupta
October 14, 2022
The University of Cincinnati's Soma Sengupta, MD, PhD, joined the Five to Thrive Live podcast to discuss "Humanizing Brain Tumors."
Jacksonville media: New stroke research aims to help predict recovery
April 18, 2023
Jacksonville, Florida television news station WJXT highlighted the VERIFY study being led by University of Cincinnati researchers that will examine if certain biomarkers can predict the likelihood that a patient will recover motor functions following a stroke.
MedPage Today: Individual EMS agencies vary in stroke case documentation
December 22, 2022
The University of Cincinnati's Christopher Richards, MD, co-authored an accompanying editorial to new research that showed high variability in the way EMS agencies document stroke cases, which was recently featured by MedPage Today.
Know Stroke Podcast: UC physician discusses mobile stroke unit
April 28, 2023
The University of Cincinnati's Christopher T. Richards, MD, was a recent guest on the Know Stroke Podcast to discuss mobile stroke units and where research is headed to improve care.
WLWT: UC hosts RESET epilepsy trial
May 3, 2023
WLWT spoke with the University of Cincinnati's Brandon Foreman about a clinical trial testing a new treatment for status epilepticus, the most severe and deadly form of epilepsy.
Spectrum News: Mobile stroke unit getting treatment to patients faster
September 15, 2023
Spectrum News recently highlighted the work of the UC Health mobile stroke unit that brings stroke care to patients faster and helped treat local patient Don Mundy.
Healio: Sleep, diet among keys to preserving cognitive function during cancer survivorship
September 25, 2023
The University of Cincinnati's Rhonna Shatz, DO, spoke with Healio about cognitive function during cancer survivorship.
WVXU: UC study tests tongue exercises to improve swallowing function after stroke
January 11, 2024
WVXU highlighted a new trial at the University of Cincinnati that will test an at-home tongue endurance exercise to improve patients’ swallowing function after a stroke.