Title
The Evolving Role of the Chief Wellness Officer in the Management of Crises by Health Care Systems: Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Emergency Medicine
Publication Date
2021-05-01
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Health and Medical Administration | Infectious Disease | Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene | Virus Diseases
Abstract
Even before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, clinician burnout was a recognized occupational syndrome and a driver of suboptimal patient care. National calls for system-level interventions to improve clinician well-being led some health care organizations (HCOs) to appoint a Chief Wellness Officer (CWO). By incorporating CWOs into the emergency command structure, these HCOs were equipped to identify and address health care worker needs throughout the pandemic. CWOs learned important lessons regarding how HCOs can best address workforce well-being in the midst of a crisis. Key CWO contributions include identifying evolving sources of worker anxiety, deploying support resources, participating in operational decision-making, and assessing the impact of fluid pandemic protocols on clinician well-being. As HCOs seek to promote posttraumatic growth, attention to the well-being of the workforce should be incorporated into emergency management protocols with the goal of sustaining a resilient health care workforce.
Keywords
Covid-19 pandemic, clinician burnout, clinician well-being, health care organizations, HCOs, Chief Wellness Officer, CWO
DOI of Published Version
10.1056/CAT.20.0612
Source
Brower KJ, Brazeau CM, Kiely SC, Lawrence EC, Farley H, Berliner JI, Bird SB, Ripp J, Shanafelt T. The Evolving Role of the Chief Wellness Officer in the Management of Crises by Health Care Systems: Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic. NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery. 2021 Apr 21;2(5). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/CAT.20.0612.
Journal/Book/Conference Title
NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery
Repository Citation
Brower KJ, Brazeau CM, Kiely SC, Lawrence EC, Farley H, Berliner JI, Bird SB, Ripp J, Shanafelt T. (2021). The Evolving Role of the Chief Wellness Officer in the Management of Crises by Health Care Systems: Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic. COVID-19 Publications by UMass Chan Authors. https://doi.org/10.1056/CAT.20.0612. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/covid19/319