The Cleveland Clinic has taken a lot of flack lately for the way it treats its 35,000 employees — first banning smoking on its campus, then vowing not to hire anyone who lights up. Some saw this health and wellness kick as a bit overzealous, considering how stressed-out Clinic workers might desperately need a delicious American-made tobacco product.
Then in March, a Medicare report about “patient experience” seemed to suggest that Clinic nurses were overworked and unhappy. Patients were complaining about being housed in noisy rooms and having to wait a long time for help using the bathroom — gripes that nurses would normally help ease…
This article appears in May 7-13, 2008.