“At a time when many healthcare providers are being rewarded for patient outcomes (value) vs. transactions (volume), a growing number of professionals are starting to recognize the effect that staff health has on patient outcomes. As a result, some are trying to improve work environments, which are known to be high stress places, to encourage staff members to take breaks, eat lunch and look for ways to reduce stress. These investments in staff health have had a positive effect on patient outcomes in several settings highlighted in this article. As a result, the concept of investing in staff health at healthcare facilities is gaining momentum across the country as executives see savings in their company healthcare costs and the positive effect this investment has on patient outcomes, which influences reimbursement. While wellness programs are popular in many companies, medical organizations have been slow to recognize the value of quality of life investments for the caregivers they employ. This piece illustrates the ways practices can profit by taking care of staff — and taking steps to ensure caregivers manage the stress that leads to unhealthy lifestyles. As one source notes: “There is a huge discrepancy between nursing theory and practice. You can tell people until you’re blue in the face to lose weight, eat healthfully, exercise, stop smoking. But until you get to the root of why they’re doing it, you can’t make a difference.” The results of one program had a positive effect on nurses — “from the inside out. … It definitely changed these people — from how they felt about errors to the way they addressed patients and the environment as a whole. It actually made a difference.”
