Getty

Ebola a workplace issue for healthcare facilities

Hospitals focusing on training, communication to diminish risk and worry


Only a few hospitals in the U.S. are currently treating Ebola patients, but healthcare workers around the country are on edge, according to an article on The Wall Street Journal website.

Issues around communication, training and pay are being raised and healthcare facilities are trying to deal with staff concerns as they worry about staffing if Ebola reaches their doors.

New York’s Mount Sinai Health System is trying to combat “a rising sense of anxiety” among staff with town hall meetings hosted by the organization’s president and an infectious-disease expert, according to the article.

Managers are also being trained to take the emotional temperature of their employees with brief huddles during shift changes.

Right now, Sinai staff care for the patients they are assigned to but the health system is trying to figure out how to respond if a worker refuses, the article said.

Mount Sinai and several other hospitals said they don’t plan to give extra pay to those caring for Ebola patients. Stanford Wilson, an employment lawyer based in Atlanta, advised against so-called hazard pay, saying it could create problems for employers.

Read the article.

 

 



October 17, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

How Digital Technologies Are Reshaping Performance in Healthcare Facilities

AI can hyper-optimize hospital operations, change the patient experience and make data-driven intelligence a foundation of hospital design.


The Role of Plumbing in Healthcare-Associated Infections

Water and plumbing systems are a dangerous source of pathogens and bacteria, so the CDC has created a set of guidelines to develop a proper water management program.


Ground Broken on AdventHealth Weaverville Hospital

The first phase includes 67 beds and will provide emergency care, medical-surgical inpatient services, intensive care, labor and delivery and advanced imaging.


Making the Energy Efficiency Case to the C-Suite

Hospital executives often wrestle with energy decisions made today that either free up budget for patient care or drain resources that could go elsewhere.


Rethinking Fire Safety Inspections

Digital tools bridge the gap between growing facility complexity and workforce limitations, allowing teams to maintain the highest safety standards.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.