Healthy Hospital: the experience of a public hospital in de city of Corrientes, Argentina

Abstract

Objectives: to promote Primary Health Care for workers of the “Hospital J. R. Vidal” of the city of Corrientes, and foster healthy life habits. To plan task distribution among workers according to their competence and health status. To award the institution the status of “Healthy Hospital” in one year.

Methods: The Project was run by the hospital Labor Health service, working in coordination with other institutional services. A data base was created; clinical records, laboratory exams, and vaccination schemes were drawn up; health education, sports and recreational activities, standardization and healthcare improvement seminars and training of the personnel were implemented in order to improve workplace atmosphere.

Results: 528 health exams were carried out, which led to the detection of 121 cases of hypertension (22.9%), 32 cases of diabetes (6%), and 340 cases of overweight and obesity (64.7%). Various health education workshops were conducted, besides mental health interventions, vaccination campaigns and detection of communicable infections and oncological pathologies.

Conclusions: a health care institution has the specific mission of serving community health needs, but it must also promote the mental and physical health of the personnel in charge of its services. Having spent six years in charge of the hospital, we still continue to promote these values.