Charlotte, N.C.-based Novant Health said it has established a new task force that will screen front-line healthcare workers for burnout.
The task force — led by Thomas Edward Jenike, MD, a senior vice president and chief well-being officer — targets a few hundred people who work in Novant respiratory assessment centers, COVID-19 hospital units and emergency departments, including physicians and other front-line healthcare workers.
"One goal is to normalize that they're likely feeling extra stress, so that people don't suffer in silence," Dr. Jenike told Becker's Hospital Review. "Another goal is to individually speak to folks (a simple check in — How are you? How are you handling this? What's most impacted in your life?) — and then, if applicable, connect them with a peer coach or a mental health expert."
Dr. Jenike said the task force is especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, as healthcare workers are unsure how the illness is affecting the human body and concerned about the risk of transmission to their loved ones.
Novant will decide how to operationalize the task force in the coming week.