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Tarrant Public Health a ‘toxic’ workplace, workers tell HR
More than a dozen Tarrant County Public Health employees said Director Vinny Taneja, shown in this 2020 file photo, had a “toxic leadership style.” Amanda McCoy [email protected] More than a dozen Tarrant County Public Health employees say the “toxic” leadership during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated already stressful working conditions, according to records from an internal investigation completed in 2022. At least 16 current and former employees listed a litany of complaints about their bosses, director Vinny Taneja and deputy director Angela Hagy, in interviews with Tarrant County’s human resources department. Employees said Taneja made threatening phone calls, yelled and cursed at staff, and dismissed staff concerns about…
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US workers sue Georgia for transgender healthcare discrimination | Gender Equity News
Two state employees and a public school media clerk are suing the state of Georgia in southeast United States, saying state health insurance illegally discriminates by refusing to pay for gender-transition healthcare. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Atlanta on Wednesday by Micha Rich, Benjamin Johnson and an anonymous state employee suing on behalf of her adult child. They argue Georgia’s State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP), which insures more than 660,000 state government and public school employees and retirees, is breaking federal law. “The exclusion not only harms the health and finances of transgender people seeking gender dysphoria treatment, it also reinforces the stigma attached to being transgender,…
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Bullies in white coats? ‘Too many’ health care workers experience toxic workplaces, studies show
Some bullies wear white coats, new research reveals. While health care workers aim to treat their patients with compassion, empathy and respect, a significant number don’t follow those same ideals when working with each other, according to an article published recently by Massachusetts General Hospital. Christine Porath, Ph.D, an expert in unprofessional workplace behavior who’s quoted in the article, told Fox News Digital this week that based on her research, “Too many health care workers and physicians are treated disrespectfully.” WORKPLACE BULLYING: HOW TO RECOGNIZE IT, HOW TO HANDLE IT And “we’ve found that the majority don’t report it, often out of a sense of fear or hopelessness,” she added.…
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Report: Minnesota health care workers leaving at ‘crisis rates’
In 2022 Minnesota nursing homes reported staffing shortages that were worse than anywhere else in the country. The ability to find direct care workers for these institutions and others has become a crisis. That’s according to a new report from the University of Minnesota. “The crisis of low-wage healthcare workers is a crisis for all those that require care,” report authors wrote. While direct care work can be incredibly dangerous, it is not paid well. According to the report, over 40 percent of direct care workers in Minnesota earn below 200 percent of the federal poverty line and nearly half use Medicaid or Medicare for insurance. That’s for frontline work…
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Amid ongoing shortage of health care workers, Hawaii hospitals see ‘unprecedented’ demand
WAILUKU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hospitals across the state are busier than ever — even busier than during the peak of the pandemic. At Maui Memorial Medical Center, patients are having to double up in rooms and even sleep in the emergency room as they wait for a room. “We are experiencing an unprecedented demand for health care. The entire state is,” said Maui Health System Chief Executive Officer Michael Rembis. “This is the highest number of admissions in the state of Hawaii we’ve ever had, and Maui is feeling it.” Health care officials say the capacity issues are being driven by a number of issues. “One of them is that there…
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Joint Statement on Violence Against Health Care Workers
AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau, MD, issued the following joint statement on violence against health care workers: “When patients and families have health concerns, they turn to health care workers for care, guidance, and hope. These professionals are a crucial part of our health care system and society, serving as the frontline defense for keeping our communities healthy and safe. Yet violence against health care workers is surging and inflammatory rhetoric has become commonplace and intense. Such words and actions are irresponsible and dangerous and compromise the ability of health professionals to provide…
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Therese Coffey office sparks fury as it tells health workers to stop using ‘Oxford commas’ | Politics | News
Therese Coffey’s office has come under fire after it sent out guidance telling health staff to “be positive” and avoid using policy wonk “jargon”. The new Health Secretary – who was only appointed to the role by new Prime Minister Liz Truss earlier this month, issued the guidance to hundreds of health staff in an email last Thursday. Staff were also reportedly asked to avoid using “Oxford commas” — the punctuation mark that precedes the last item on a written list. Health insiders said the guidance – entitled ‘New secretary of state ways of working preferences’ – had been published on the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) intranet.…
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Health care IT workers report increased cyberattacks affecting patient care
Written by AJ Vicens Sep 8, 2022 | CYBERSCOOP Nearly 90% of information technology professionals working in health care said their facilities suffered a cyberattack in the past year, according to a report out Thursday from the research organization Ponemon Institute. Many of them said the attacks, which averaged 43 at various types of health care organizations including hospitals and insurance providers, increasingly affected patient care. More than 600 IT and IT security practitioners responded to the survey sponsored by the cybersecurity firm Proofpoint. The report comes amid frequent warnings from federal cybersecurity officials about ransomware and other cyberattacks on health care organizations. Fifty-three percent of the respondents said their…
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/JQG5EGSAAFFH5MRNVV4CO6V3XY.PNG "Amid ongoing shortage of health care workers, Hawaii hospitals see ‘unprecedented’ demand")
