415: Burnout Advice, Policy Wins

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, May 8, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson.

Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

JENNIFER MOSS: 

Organizations have a major role to play in making sure that the ecosystem, that the tactics and the strategies all support making sure that someone isn't coming to work and leaving unhappy.

JOHNSON: 

Jennifer Moss is the author of The Burnout Epidemic and a speaker at ASTHO's TechXpo and Futures Forum later this month in Chicago. She says self care alone is not a solution to employee fatigue.

MOSS: 

It's not up to the organization to make them happy. We have to look at our own lives and our life satisfaction and what we want out of work—but we should also expect that our employers aren't going to detract from our happiness. So employers should look at the fact that wellbeing does raise all boats. When you look at impacting an employee's happiness, we see that sales increased, productivity increases, engagement increases—we see that all of those measures that matter to organizations are improved if we have a well workforce.

JOHNSON: 

Moss says we need to accept that COVID-19 has changed the work landscape forever.

MOSS: 

We have to look at it like we're in this whole paradigm shifting time, and so scrapping ideas that we were married to is going to be the only way forward. But I see hope in that because it's transformational, and the opportunity is there for us to make work—finally work—for more people.

JOHNSON: 

An online ticket to the TechXpo will get you connected to Moss' presentation and her advice for navigating the workforce post-pandemic.

MOSS: 

I want attendees to start to recognize that they have a role to play, but it's not their fault that they're burning out. It doesn't mean that they're not a go-getter, or they don't go above and beyond enough, that it really is a big partnership when it comes to solving for burnout. And I also want to help managers and leaders recognize that the only way that employees are going to reduce their burnout and manage their self care is if they're seeing other people model it because employees can't be what they can't see.

JOHNSON: 

Get your online ticket to the TechXpo using the link in the show notes.

ASTHO continues to track public health policy actions in state and territorial capitals.

Maggie Davis is ASTHO's director of state health policy.

MAGGIE DAVIS: 

One of the wins we've had this session is that there were numerous proposals that could have been detrimental to public health that did not advance, particularly around childhood immunizations. There were several proposals to really limit the health department's authority to establish routine childhood vaccination requirements, and largely and overwhelmingly those proposals didn't move forward. And it really shows the legislature kind of going with the science, of really trusting the expertise of public health professionals. And really, that this is something that public health continues to do and it's still something that the country wants to see.

JOHNSON: 

Davis says there also have been some proposals to address data modernization.

DAVIS: 

For example, New York passed a bill clarifying privacy protections and immunization information systems, Washington state passed a bill about consumer health data, and Maryland's legislature recently passed a bill enhancing privacy protections in reproductive health. There's also been numerous states that have introduced legislation to improve data collection on health disparities in efforts to promote health equity.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO has identified 10 policy areas to watch in 2023. You can get an update on all of them using the link in the show notes.

Also today, stay up to date on everything happening in those legislatures by signing up for ASTHO's Legislative Alert emails. There's a link in the show notes.

Finally this morning, we appreciate that you listen to this newscast every day, but did you know there are other podcasts on public health that could be worth your time as well? ASTHO has compiled a list of them in a new blog article. Our companion show Public Health Review made the list. See the full rundown of recommended podcasts using the link in the show notes.

That'll do it for today's newscast. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information.

I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.