New national plan aimed at improving health care workers’ well-being

Washington — The National Academy of Medicine has unveiled seven priorities it says will help strengthen the well-being of the health care workforce and “restore the health of the nation.”

On Oct. 3, NAM launched its National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being. The plan lays out seven priority areas for the health care industry:

1. Create and sustain positive work and learning environments and culture
2. Invest in measurement, assessment, strategies and research
3. Support mental health and reduce stigma
4. Address compliance, regulatory and policy barriers for daily work
5. Engage effective technology tools
6. Institutionalize well-being as a long-term value
7. Recruit and retain a diverse and inclusive health workforce

“We need more attention to this issue,” NAM President Victor Dzau said during a press conference. “We have the attention of the U.S. government and Congress.”

Dzau was joined by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH), and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).

“This was an issue pre-pandemic,” said Bera, who’s also an internal medicine physician. “But we all know the pressures that doctors, nurses and other health care professionals have come under during the pandemic and the responsibilities that were placed on them. And we know it’s leading to tremendous burnout and physician suicide. We have to focus on this before they get into practice. Let’s provide those resources.”