Jaclyn Wainwright, the cofounder and CEO of Aircare Health, emphasizes the importance of employee health in the workplace. She believes that employees are the most valuable asset and biggest investment of any organization, and their well-being is crucial for productivity and profitability. Wainwright highlights the misconceptions surrounding healthcare, particularly mental healthcare, and how these misunderstandings can prevent employees from receiving the treatment and support they need, ultimately impacting the organization’s bottom line.
Healthcare costs are a significant expense for employers, and providing holistic healthcare for employees is not only the right thing to do but also makes good business sense. Aircare Health focuses on proactive approaches to mental and behavioral healthcare, emphasizing the impact on the business’s overall performance and profitability. Wainwright stresses the need for data-driven evidence to prove the business case for prioritizing employee well-being and pushing back against harmful myths about healthcare.
Despite the prevalence of mental health disorders, there is a significant delay in seeking treatment, with an average of 11 years between the onset of symptoms and receiving care. Wainwright compares this delay to the timely diagnosis of physical illnesses like breast cancer, highlighting the urgent need to dismantle myths that hinder access to mental health services. By addressing misconceptions and advocating for proactive healthcare solutions, Wainwright aims to create a system that values mental health as much as physical health.
Wainwright identifies four harmful myths about healthcare that hinder progress towards holistic care. These include perceptions that the healthcare system prioritizes health, provides whole-person care, mental health concerns can be easily addressed, and healthcare is not a business leader’s responsibility. By dispelling these myths and promoting a comprehensive approach to healthcare that addresses mental and physical well-being, businesses can improve employee engagement, reduce burnout, and enhance customer satisfaction.
To shatter these myths, Wainwright suggests proactive strategies such as prioritizing mental health in the workplace, challenging health insurance carriers to provide comprehensive mental health resources, educating leaders on mental health conditions, and focusing on outcomes rather than just access to services. By demanding better mental health outcomes and investing in proactive healthcare solutions, organizations can benefit from improved employee well-being, increased productivity, and a healthier bottom line.
Wainwright emphasizes the importance of prioritizing mental and behavioral health as a win-win-win solution for employees, organizations, and society as a whole. By shifting the focus from treating symptoms to addressing root causes and embracing a whole-person care model, organizations can challenge existing myths, demand better outcomes, and invest in proactive healthcare solutions that benefit everyone. Ultimately, prioritizing mental health is not only a humanitarian imperative but also a sound business decision that can lead to a healthier, more engaged workforce and greater profitability.
