Jan 10, 2023
Research finds healthcare workers have among the lowest levels of vitality
By
busy-healthcare-workers-walking-down-hallway

The experiences of the past few years significantly impacted health and well-being of Americans at home, at work, and in our communities.

This is particularly true for healthcare workers – the heroes of COVID-19 – who selflessly served on the frontlines of the pandemic. More than 115,000 health care workers died within the first 18 months of COVID-19’s spread. In addition, 18%  left the medical field during that period.

We now have the opportunity to reset and pursue a more dynamic, substantive approach to health - one that focuses on vitality. Vitality is the capacity to live life with health, strength, and energy. Surveying more than 10,000 U.S. adults – the largest study of its kind – Cigna examined the relationship between vitality, health, and productivity.

One of the key findings: Healthcare workers have among the lowest levels of vitality across industries.

Dr. Stuart Lustig, lead medical director, Cigna Behavioral Health, spoke during a recent webinar about ways employers can help healthcare workers improve their vitality. His tips include:

  • Prioritizing wellness and providing opportunities for workers to care for their own health.
  • Maintaining good manager-worker rapport while keeping workers informed about what is going on in the workplace.
  • Allowing time in team meetings for employees to talk about their personal interests, concerns, or life events. This can help foster resilience and connections at work.
  • Supporting workers’ family and personal commitments. For example, this can mean allowing flexible schedules or establishing off-work hours when workers are not expected to respond to  e-mails, pagers, or calls.  Managers should have candid conversations with employees to determine what strategies would work best for them and to set expectations on how the workplace is able to accommodate their needs.

Webinar: Healthcare workers have among the lowest levels of vitality

To learn about the research and how vitality can help us more deeply understand the needs of healthcare employees, listen to this Becker's Hospital Review webinar with Dr. Stuart Lustig, lead medical director, Cigna Behavioral Health.

Watch replay