A Cure for the Common Company: A Chief Medical Director’s Prescription for a Healthier Workforce
with Richard Safeer, MD
Chief Medical Director of Employee Health and Well-Being, Johns Hopkins Medicine. Speaker, Author.
I had the gift of meeting Dr. Richard Safeer when facilitating a panel on Understanding the Principles of Wellness and Wellbeing for the Hacking HR Forward 2023 Conference. I was struck by his expertise, experience, and insights around creating a culture of well-being, and his book that provides leaders and their organizations with a roadmap for creating a happier, healthier workplace: A Cure for the Common Company: A Well-Being Prescription for a Healthier, Happier, and More Resilient Workforce. which just launched in January 2023!
Related episode with Richard Safeer, MD:
Tell us about yourself, Dr. Safeer
I studied nutrition before going to med school, then became a family physician. After two years I realized there was an opportunity to impact a greater number of people. Working on systems and organizations to influence the health of an entire population became a passion, which is why I began working with Johns Hopkins.
Tell us a little bit more about A Cure for the Common Company: A Well-Being Prescription for a Happier, Healthier, and More Resilient Workforce. What inspired you to write it?
I began writing it a few years ago as I’d seen what employers and companies [were] doing, but a lot of what’s being done is not as effective as they think. There’s a better way to use people’s time, energy, [and] resources. The book includes stories about Hopkins and other companies and how they’ve been successful at creating well-being cultures.
Who should read this book and how can they order a copy?
The book is meant for leaders at all levels, HR professionals, and anyone who supports employee health and well-being, including occupational medicine, and occupational health and safety professionals. Visit www.richardsafeer.com for links to online booksellers.
“Well-being is a team sport!” – Dr. Richard Safeer
What are the trends you’ve been seeing that are problematic in organizations?
In order for us to support the millions of people in the workforce, we need more leaders and HR professionals to be rowing in the same direction on well-being.
Workplaces offering strategies and programs have the best of intentions, but we need to take a step back and respect the power of the social sciences and the levers that influence the choices we make, and the emotions we carry through our work days.
The six building blocks for a happier and healthier workforce, as described in the book, are: 1) peer support, 2) leadership engagement, 3) healthy norms, 4) social climate, 5) shared values, and 6) culture connection points (i.e., nudges that our employer offers that make it easier to make healthy choices and be emotionally well through the workday). When most or all of these building blocks are used, we stand a much better chance of having a healthy work day.
Each person is on their own well-being journey. This book provides a practical framework. Call outs for the reader to implement practical strategies across their team or organization are included throughout. Leaders need to positively reinforce behaviour they see on their team (e.g., praise team members who are helping each other be healthier).
What are you seeing in terms of wellness initiatives that are not working?
When employers take only an individual approach (e.g., here are the resources, now go and use them). Versus creating a supportive, team environment around health and well-being. Well-being is a team sport!
“We need to see challenges as speed bumps and not brick walls.” – Dr. Richard Safeer
The world is full of challenge and uncertainty, whether it’s the pandemic turned endemic, economic uncertainty, war, or polarization…..what’s your top recommendation for not letting these vast challenges impact our well-being?
Everyone needs to have their own well-being/self-care practices. There are ways for us to help each other through these difficult times. The social climate in our organizations is so key – it’s how we feel about working for our team and company.
There are three ways to shape this: 1) create a sense of community – do we know the people on our team outside of our workplace?, 2) being positive – taking a cup half-full approach or outlook on life; we all benefit when there’s positive energy around us as negativity can drag us down. We need to see challenges as speed bumps and not brick walls, and 3) rowing in the same direction – our well-being is better when we feel the people around us are all working towards the same goal. Think of a dragon boat race – we’re all in it together!
What do you read and or listen to, Rich, to continue evolving?
- “Leading with Gratitude” by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
- “Anxiety at Work” by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
- “Drive” by Daniel H. Pink
If you could have one wish for a better world, what would it be?
Respect each other, our planet, our time on this planet, and each other’s opinions.
Finally, it would be great if our workplaces help, and don’t take away from, our well-being.
About Richard Safeer, MD:
Richard Safeer, MD, earned his BS in Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University under the tutelage of T. Colin Campbell, author of the China Study, before attending medical school at State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Safeer is the Chief Medical Director of Employee Health and Well-being at Johns Hopkins Medicine, where he leads the Healthy at Hopkins employee health and well-being strategy. He also holds faculty appointments in the School of Medicine and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.
Prior to arriving at Hopkins, Dr. Safeer practiced family medicine in Northern Virginia. He was then on faculty at the George Washington University, serving as the Residency Director of Family Medicine in his last year at the institution. He was the Medical Director of an Occupational Health Center in Baltimore and Wellness Director for the Mid-Atlantic region of the parent company, just before starting at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in Baltimore, Maryland as the Medical Director of Preventive Medicine. He has been credited by some for bringing ‘wellness’ into the realm of responsibilities of the managed care industry. He also led CareFirst BCBS to be among the first cohort of health plans to be accredited for Wellness by NCQA.
He holds faculty appointments in both the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as well as the School of Public Health. He continues to see patients one day a week in the Pediatric Cardiology department. Dr. Safeer is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice, The American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the American College of Preventive Medicine. He served on the board of directors for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He is on the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst Insight Council.
Dr. Safeer has hiked and camped in the Andes, Alaska, Australia and across the Western United States. He lives in Columbia Maryland with his wife and three children, and their dog Kami.
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