The pandemic may be slackening, but it’s having a long-lasting effect on the healthcare workforce. A little more than half (52%) of healthcare workers report feeling burnt out, according to a recent USA Today-Ipsos survey.

The pandemic has taken a toll on U.S. lives, but Black Americans and other Americans of color have been disproportionately affected. Nationally, Black Americans have died of COVID-19 at 1.4 times the rate of white Americans. Responding to health inequities, healthcare systems have taken steps to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts across their organizations.

The COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about how we treat mental health in the workplace. And few employees felt the stress of the pandemic more than those on the front lines: practitioners and healthcare workers treating severe COVID-19 cases or exposed to the virus in hospital settings. A study from Mental Health America conducted at the height of the pandemic found that 93% of healthcare workers reported stress, 86% reported anxiety, and 76% said they were feeling exhaustion and burnout.

The COVID-19 pandemic put community health in the spotlight. According to federal data, Black, Hispanic/Latino and Indigenous Americans are 1.1 to 1.7 times more likely than white, non-Hispanic Americans to contract COVID-19. But the factors that led to these statistics were in place long before the virus appeared.

Patient Safety Awareness Week, which runs March 8-14, encourages healthcare providers, organizations, patients, and the general public to learn about local and global healthcare safety issues. 

Healthcare safety issues, or “medical harm,” are a significant cause of death in the United States. Even when such errors do not result in death, they can still have long-term negative effects on a patient’s health and finances. Patient Safety Awareness Week is an opportunity for healthcare organizations to consider the potential causes of medical harm and how to prevent it.

3 Ways to Address Mental Health in the Healthcare Workplace

Mental health is not the easiest conversation to have in the workplace. In fact, 61% of employees feel there’s a social stigma in the workplace toward colleagues with mental health issues, according to a report from Unum, a provider of employee benefits.

The First National Healthcare Diversity Conference: 15 Years in the Making

For 15 years, the National Diversity Council (NDC) has been a resource and an advocate for the value of diversity and inclusion (D&I). NDC’s efforts include its annual diversity and leadership conference, but this year, the healthcare industry will also receive its very own diversity conference focusing on the issues unique to healthcare organizations.

PreCheck Supports His Grace Foundation

As an organization that services the healthcare community, PreCheck is committed to supporting patients and their families beyond the work that we do each day. Last December, we had the opportunity to wrap up 2015 by supporting His Grace Foundation (HGF) and their efforts to provide physical, emotional and financial support for the patients and families on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (BMTU) of Texas Children’s Hospital.

PreCheck Raises Funds for Nepal Earthquake Relief

Inspired by our client Hospital Corporation of America’s up to $1 million pledge to aid three international organizations’ Nepal earthquake relief efforts, we at PreCheck decided to take part in these efforts as well. This week, we organized a Jeans Week to raise funds for the American Red Cross’ aid in Nepal.

Population Health Offers Opportunities to Improve Healthcare

April 6-12 is National Public Health Week, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the American Public Health Association’s involvement with the event. The APHA uses this week to highlight advances made in public health and to consider initiatives for the future.

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