Project Summary:
The healthcare workforce in Wisconsin and across the nation is facing a well-being crisis, driven by rising burnout, emotional exhaustion, and workplace stress. Despite high burnout rates caused by workload pressures and administrative burdens, many clinicians avoid seeking mental health support, creating barriers to optimal patient care. This has led to significant HCW departures, a trend that began before the COVID-19 pandemic and has worsened since. Delivering high-quality care requires a healthy, supported workforce. Ensuring clinicians have access to mental health care not only benefits their well-being but also enhances overall community health.
Wisconsin healthcare employers face unprecedented challenges in retaining staff and attracting new talent. Rising patient complexity, an aging population, and workforce shortages exacerbate these issues. This initiative seeks to shift from individual, resilience-focused solutions to long-term, systemic strategies by investing in comprehensive approaches informed by Wisconsin leaders, stakeholders, and national experts like the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, who have developed evidence-based strategies to improve healthcare workforce well-being.
The goal of this project is to design, develop, and launch a sustainable, statewide healthcare worker well-being program in Wisconsin. The program will focus on long-term solutions to improve retention and recruitment, reduce burnout, and enhance job satisfaction across healthcare settings, including acute care, long-term care, and public health. The initiative will engage Wisconsin's healthcare delivery systems and stakeholders, establish measurable well-being benchmarks, and implement a scalable, evidence-based framework for long-term sustainability. This effort will advance workforce well-being and promote health equity across Wisconsin.
Community partners: Froedtert Hospital & Medical College of Wisconsin; SSM Health; UW Health; Advocate Health; Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin; Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative; Milwaukee Healthcare Partnership; Wisconsin Health Care Association/ Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living; Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Leaders