Making Workforce Well-Being a National Priority

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Collaborative and The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Collaborative and over 90 founding partners—including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation—have kicked off a series of events to recognize health workforce well-being on March 11, and announced March 18 as the annual, national Health Workforce Well-Being Day.  

Today, in Washington D.C., speakers told us of organizational plans to promote health and well-being among our peers

Donald Berwick told us that this is the time to stop the talk and move to action. That talk is good, action is better. He also spoke to the leadership demands upon senior leaders.

He related "this is the time for an equity agenda". According to Academy 4SC, Equity, refers to the fair distribution of goods and services based on individual need. Those who start with less are given more of the commodity, while those who have more receive less of it.

I believe that an equity agenda bodes well for frontline workers. Dr. Berwick also said,"lower paid, lower status workers during the pandemic, they came to help, they showed up and they saved us." In my interpretation, lower status workers  speaks to frontline workers, which some of us have chosen to be for the entirety of our careers. 

Hopefully history will show that here and now was indeed the time for a move to action, in an equitable and inclusive manner.