Becker's Hospital Review

41 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 41 CEO / STRATEGY 4 steps to try when you're feeling burned out By Hannah Mitchell R esearchers from Seattle-based Univer- sity of Washington studied 230 people to identify the best methods for allevi- ating burnout, according to an April 12 arti- cle published in Harvard Business Review. e researchers said that while burnout is an institutional problem, remedying it is a much less straightforward process. Here are their recommended steps: Step 1: Identify the source of the burnout. It can usually present as a combination of three distinct symptoms: exhaustion, cynical detachment (a depletion of social connected- ness) and a reduced sense of efficacy (a deple- tion of value of oneself ). Step 2: Once identified, take action. Exhaustion: Acts of self-care are not self- indulgent. Taking time to meditate, nap or even acts of compassion for another person correlated with reduced levels of reported burnout the following day. Cynicism: Being kind to others can help regain a sense of connectedness. e study found that when participants offered words of encouragement or listened to colleagues' concerns, it led to reduced levels of burnout associated with cynicism. Inefficacy: Research showed that acts fo- cused on bolstering your sense of self-com- passion or compassion toward others are the most impactful. e key is to do something that will validate your own personal value. For example, comforting a co-worker led to increased self-esteem, as did workout ses- sions or finishing a project. Step 3: Agency is essential. To overcome burnout, employees must feel empowered to take control of their own lives and decisions. If an employee is struggling with feeling a loss of social connections, the most effective approach is for employees to reaffirm their own social networks. In one ex- ample, the researchers suggested that instead of managers implementing "mandatory fun," they should allow employees the space to pursue their own restorative activities. Step 4: Prevention. e best cure for burnout is prevention, the researchers said. Managers and organizations are responsible for protecting their employees from becoming resource-depleted in the first place. Yet, the researchers said no matter how much effort an organization puts into com- bating burnout, there will always be a need for employees to understand where their burnout is coming from and to develop strat- egies to help pull themselves out. n Former healthcare CEO pleads guilty to role in $60M fraudulent billing scheme By Morgan Haefner T he former CEO of a Texas-based hospice agency pleaded guilty to defrauding Medi- care and Medicaid programs through a $60 million scheme that federal prosecutors have said involved fatally overdosing patients for profit. Bradley Harris, former CEO of Novus and Opti- mum Health Services, admitted to fraudulently billing Medicare and Medicaid for hospice ser- vices that weren't given or proper, the U.S. Justice Department said March 19. In his plea papers, Mr. Harris admitted to writing pain prescriptions with- out physician input. The scheme lasted from 2012 to 2016, according to Mr. Harris' plea papers. Additionally, Mr. Harris admitted two physi- cian co-conspirators frequently certified that his hospice patients faced terminal illness without completing any in-person examinations. The physicians were paid about $150 for each false order, he said. Mr. Harris faces up to 14 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3. n Antelope Valley Hospital board takes vote of confidence in CEO By Kelly Gooch T he board of Lancaster, Calif.-based Antelope Valley Hospital passed a vote of total confidence in hospital CEO Edward Mirzabegian and his administration, after a no-confidence petition on the performance of Mr. Mirzabegian was circulated by the union representing nurses at the facility, according to a hospital spokesperson. A resolution passed by the board March 31 expressed apprecia- tion of Mr. Mirzabegian since he returned as CEO in January 2019, and commended his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since comments were made publicly by the union about the CEO's leadership, the board "wanted to make it publicly resolved in their confidence of the CEO and his administration," hospital spokesperson Cynthia Frausto told Becker's. In February, a no-confidence petition on the performance of Mr. Mirzabegian was circulated by California Nurses Association/ National Nurses United. The union, which represents nearly 900 nurses at the hospital, cited concerns about staffing and patient care in a Feb. 23 news release about the petition. The union also contends hospital ad- ministration was not prepared during the COVID-19 surge at the end of 2020 and has been unable to recruit and retain nurses. The hospital disputes the allegations. n

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