Posted in: Triangle Times Today
Volume 5 | Issue 5 | May 2026
Boosting Morale and Wellness in Health Care
Health care organizations thrive when their people thrive. Mental Health Awareness Month offers a powerful opportunity to pause, reflect, and take action to support the well-being of your most valuable resource—your staff. Rather than focusing on burnout symptoms, let’s shift the conversation toward building resilience, fostering connection, and creating a culture of wellness.
Why Mental Health Awareness Month Matters
May is more than a calendar event—it’s a catalyst for change. It reminds us that mental health is essential to overall health and that supporting staff well-being is critical to delivering safe, high-quality care. When we invest in our teams, we strengthen morale, improve engagement, and enhance patient outcomes.
Building Morale Through Connection and Support
Health care is demanding, but it doesn’t have to be isolating. One of the most powerful antidotes to workplace stress is having a strong sense of connection and belonging. Leaders play a vital role in shaping the culture and environment where staff feel valued, supported, and heard. When employees know their voices and contributions are recognized, it fosters engagement and strengthens loyalty. Celebrating large and small successes, encouraging open dialogue, facilitating a safe reporting culture, and empowering staff with autonomy are some strategies to build ownership and cultivate engagement.
Wellness Activities Make a Difference
Mental Health Awareness Month is the perfect time to launch initiatives that
promote physical, emotional, and social health. Consider these ideas:
- Mindfulness and Resilience Workshops
Equip staff with tools to manage stress and maintain balance. - Peer Support Circles
Foster camaraderie and provide a platform for shared experiences. - Movement Challenges
Organize walking groups or fitness activities to boost energy and team spirit. - Flexible Scheduling
Encourage genuine time off and work-life balance. - Team-Building Events
Strengthen relationships and create moments of joy.
AAAHC Standards Alignment
- Governance (GOV.170, GOV.190)
Leadership accountability for staff well-being and organizational culture - Administration (ADM.140, ADM.150, ADM.170)
Policies and training that support wellness and professional development - Safety (SAF.250, SAF.260)
Programs that protect health care workers from occupational hazards, including mental health risks - Emergency Management (EMG.160, EMG.170)
Preparedness activities that build resilience and confidence
A Collective Commitment
By prioritizing staff wellness, we create a ripple effect that benefits patients, families, and communities. Let’s use this time as a springboard to ignite positive change, renew our commitment to well-being, and build a culture where every team member feels supported and empowered.
Together, we can transform awareness into action and make wellness a cornerstone of care–today and every day.
References
Mental Health America: https://mhanational.org/mental-health-month/
Addressing Burnout in Health Care: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-new-employee-experience/202508/addressing-burnout-in-health-care
Amplify Your Student Health Center’s AAAHC Accreditation
Prepare today for the next round of students and their families who visit your campus–and connect with current students who may not be aware of the value of your AAAHC Accreditation. Your achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of your health services team and your ongoing focus on creating a safe, supportive environment for your campus.
Amplify your investment in quality improvement and the prioritization of student safety and care. Download the AAAHC marketing kit which includes logos and sample communications through the Help Curtain in 1095 Engage. Then, take these 5 steps to promote your success.
- Proudly post
- Take your AAAHC certificate, frame it, and hang it in a visible location.
- Place the window clings in highly visible traffic areas.
- Hold an official ceremony to commemorate your achievement.
- Invite students, staff, community and business leaders, and the press. Make the student health center part of your campus tour and take time to share the meaning of AAAHC Accreditation.
- Use social media. Let the current and prospective families know you’ve done something extraordinary. Be sure to tag Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) on LinkedInand Facebook.
- Create emails that mean more
Use the AAAHC approved logo to share your accomplishment through your email signature. Every email sent carries a valuable message about your organization’s emphasis on high quality patient care. - Make the news official
Get leadership involved and prepare a professional news release. Add personalized quotes from your medical and administrative staff and include information about your organization’s history. Current and prospective families will appreciate knowing how the student health center differentiates your campus. - Deliver the message on campus and to current and prospective families
Create a personalized letter that communicates your dedication to quality health care for students and families. - Submit your quality improvement study for the Bernard A. Kershner Quality Improvement Award. Learn more.
As part of an elite force of student health organizations that prioritize quality for your students, take the time to promote your distinctive AAAHC Accreditation for your student health center throughout your campus and beyond.
Specialty Corner
Pain Management in Ambulatory Care: Aligning Practice with AAAHC Standards
Pain management in the ambulatory care setting is shifting toward multimodal, individualized, and opioid-sparing strategies that support safe, high-quality, patient-centered care. National guidelines emphasize functional recovery, shared decision making, and selective use of opioids at the lowest effective dose and duration. Multimodal regimens—built on acetaminophen, NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors, regional and local techniques, and nonpharmacologic strategies—are increasingly used for outpatient procedures. However, specific drug choices are not prescribed in AAAHC Standards.
AAAHC Standards offer a practical framework through the Anesthesia and Surgery (ASG) category, which addresses safe monitoring, recovery, and team communication for surgical procedures and invasive pain interventions. ASG.160, for example, requires that patients are observed and monitored after anesthesia in an area with equipment appropriate to their condition and the level of anesthesia or sedation. This Standard supports the safe delivery and ongoing assessment of anesthetic and analgesic techniques that contribute to pain control.
The Care Management and Coordination (CMC) Standards category further connects pain management to everyday practice. CMC.140 requires a written policy addressing assessment and management of acute pain among organizations that administer moderate sedation, regional anesthesia, deep sedation, or general anesthesia. CMC.190 requires that patients receive written pre and postoperative self-care instructions, including medication guidance, which can encompass home pain management expectations and when to seek additional evaluation.
For AAAHC-accredited organizations, key priorities in this space include updating system-level acute pain management policies, standardizing procedure-specific multimodal pathways, enhancing patient education on home pain control, safe opioid use and disposal, and integrating pain outcomes and opioid‑related measures into quality improvement and peer review processes.
Summer UV Protection and Skin Cancer Prevention
Summer increases exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the primary environmental cause of skin cancer, according to national health authorities. UV rays remain harmful even on cloudy days and are strongest between late morning and mid‑afternoon.
Effective protection from the harmful impact of UV exposure includes the use of broad‑spectrum sunscreen, protective clothing, wide‑brimmed hats, and UV‑blocking eyewear. In addition, limiting outdoor activities during peak UV hours and seeking shade whenever possible further decreases exposure and supports overall skin health.
Primary Care reinforces these practices through structured patient education and safety protocols aligned with AAAHC Standards. Standard CRD.230 supports evidence‑based infection prevention and environmental safety practices, including patient counseling on UV‑related skin injury. Standard PRR.190 emphasizes patient rights and education, requiring Primary Care practices to provide clear preventive health information, including guidance on sunscreen use, tanning bed avoidance, and recognition of early skin‑change concerns.
Conferences & Exhibits
- American College Health Association (ACHA)
- May 26–30, Denver, CO
- Arizona Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (AASCA)
- Jun 24–26, Phoenix, AZ
- Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers (FSASC)
- Jul 22–26, Orlando, FL
- National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
- Aug 16–18, Las Vegas, NV
- Illinois Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (IASCA)
- Aug 20–21, Schaumburg, IL
- Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society (TASCS)
- Aug 25–27, Montgomery, TX
1095 Learn
- 2026 Achieving Accreditation
- Sep 14–16, Virtual
- Dec 10–11, Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa, Las Vegas, NV
