No abstract

Rising health care costs and an aging workforce have led many companies to actively promote wellness in the workplace to help their employees and lower their health care-related costs. A quality improvement initiative examined the health status of perioperative personnel in one facility before and after they took part in an onsite fitness program.

The traditional hourly pay structure may no longer meet the needs of staff members, managers, or patients in the current health care environment. Staff members at a university surgical center ventured toward a professional salary model. The goals of the salary model were to increase professional practice, accountability, autonomy, and flexibility of nurses; increase overall efficiency of the facility; and to increase or maintain patient, staff member, and physician satisfaction. Data from this study indicate that the majority of these goals were met.

No abstract