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 Health Systems Are Rethinking Facilities Amid Margin Pressure

As insurance uncertainty and consolidation reshape healthcare, facilities managers are turning to efficiency, adaptability and portfolio optimization to control costs.


Ground Broken on New Medical Office Building in Scottsdale, AZ

Hammes is developing a new 34,000-square-foot medical office building in Scottsdale, Arizona, in partnership with Phoenix-based NOVO Development.


University of Texas Gifted $100M for New Medical Center

The new UT medical center integrates the work of the University’s academic and research enterprise, its Dell Medical School and UT MD Anderson cancer care.


Beyond Backup Generators: Building Layered Energy Resilience

Backup generators still matter, but they are just one piece of a larger puzzle.


Shannon Health System to Acquire Scenic Mountain Medical Center

The signing of the asset purchase agreement begins the asset purchase closing process, which is expected to be completed in the coming months.


 
 


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.