My “Attendance, Wellness and Engagement ‘AWE’ Model” Published in Healthcare Management Forum

I'm very pleased to share that some of the innovative work we've done at Louis Brier Home and Hospital & Weinberg Residence (LBHH&WR) has been featured in the May 2025 edition of Healthcare Management Forum, the official peer-reviewed journal of the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Over the last five years, in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team and Alicia Nunez, Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness, we pioneered a pragmatic framework health leaders can apply to cultivate organizations where employees regularly attend work healthy and engaged. We've coined this The Attendance, Wellness, and Engagement “AWE” Model of Workplace Satisfaction. The article goes into detail about the framework and our approach applying it at LBHH&WR.

Here's the abstract:

The Attendance, Wellness, and Engagement (AWE) Model of Workplace Satisfaction is an innovative approach to promoting a sustainable, healthy, and engaged workforce. Implemented at Louis Brier Home and Hospital, the AWE Model encapsulates a people strategy aimed at nurturing a supportive and fulfilling work environment. Attendance promotion is accomplished by acknowledging absences while providing a comprehensive support system to address personal challenges faced by healthcare workers. The wellness component is underscored by increasing resource utilization, offering on-site health services, and cultivating social groups to enhance holistic well-being. Additionally, engagement is characterized by staff recognition rituals, community-building initiatives, and celebratory events. Importantly, this article presents a compelling position that the AWE Model creates a positive impact on reducing absenteeism, enhancing staff satisfaction, and transforming organizational culture. As health leaders grapple with workforce challenges, the AWE Model serves as a pragmatic framework to cultivate environments where employees regularly attend work healthy and engaged.

Special thanks to LBHH&WR’s CEO and mentor extraordinaire, David Keselman, for his encouragement to submit and help with editing the proof and to Alicia who has been instrumental to developing, implementing and then optimizing the AWE model and approach at LBHH&WR!

Please have a read and let me know if you have any questions or feedback!