A Model for System-Level Change to Improve Workforce Well-Being

Health care organizations face unique challenges in addressing the health and well-being of their workforce. The Covid-19 pandemic generated heightened levels of stress and burnout among health care workers, contributing to high levels of turnover and staffing shortages. Although the pandemic period has concluded, the aftermath of its effects persists across the health care landscape. Many employers offer health and well-being resources to employees, but without considering the organizational infrastructure that is required to support healthy habits and a positive emotional state. More than a decade ago, Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) identified the importance of creating an infrastructure to support the health and well-being of its workforce. JHM leveraged the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Worksite Health ScoreCard to assess the degree to which evidence-based health promotion strategies were implemented across the organization. Establishing a work environment that fosters a culture of well-being took ongoing commitment and leadership involvement. This tool, when utilized in conjunction with supplementary organizational initiatives, can help create a well-being culture. The tool became an impetus for change across the organization. Examples include the creation of new policies and leadership training to address mental health across the organization. Since the inception of the program, JHM has seen an increase in the percentage of total points earned on the ScoreCard from 68.52% in 2016 to 88.10% in 2024, an improvement of 19.58 percentage points.