Clothing and corporate culture

Anyone who is a regular reader of our blog knows that healthcare worker clothing is a favorite topic, from the viewpoints of both infection control and "professionalism." And as we've recently blogged, colleagues at the University of Michigan are trying to ramp up professional attire, calling for doctors to put their white coats back on. But they've been outdone by Summa Health System in Ohio. Summa has now mandated that all healthcare workers at their hospital must wear underwear. That's right, no more going commando at Summa! [I did not make this up--see here]. Now as a pragmatist I have to wonder who is in charge of inspection and enforcement of that policy and exactly how they will inspect and enforce.

All of this reminds me of that classic SNL skit where Will Ferrell does indeed wear underwear to work.

I guess it's all about corporate culture. One company well known to many healthcare personnel is the behemoth EMR vendor, Epic. Its corporate culture makes it a place that is well known for employee engagement and friendliness. Having visited the Epic campus recently, I can attest to the palpable enthusiasm of its workers. Epic's dress code? When there are visitors, you must wear clothes. No mention of underwear, though.