Wellness and Sustainability: New Best Friends
- Date: 8/21/2012 - 12:00 am
By Janet Brown, EDAC
Published August 21, 2012
Healthcare Design
Sustainability programming isn’t the only healthcare initiative that gets its foot in the door with the promise of cost savings. It turns out that wellness and sustainability programming have a lot in common.
Yes, the route of entry is the same, but so are some of the outcomes. Engaged staff, employee satisfaction, and doing the right thing lead to a culture of excellence. For the design team, recognizing leadership’s commitment to employee wellness, engagement, and healthy environments can ignite design features that promote healthy environments for all.
Healthcare spending is 10% more for healthcare workers than for the general population, according to "Sicker and Costlier: Healthcare Utilization of U.S. Hospital Employees," a 2011 study released by Thomson Reuters Healthcare.
Nurses are known for taking care of others, but they aren’t as known for taking care of themselves. Often, the reality is that unhealthy lifestyles persist in environments meant for healing. Some of the biggest health issues for healthcare workers include stress, lack of exercise, weight management, and diets lacking in fruits and vegetables.
Tenet Healthcare Corp. is an investor-owned healthcare system with 57,000 employees in 50 hospitals and 100 outpatient centers across the country. For Tenet and other health systems, the value of prevention is clear.