Wellness & Burnout

new programming aims to address the unspoken stresses of work in health care December, 2022

Michael Holliday, MD, Eleanor Glass, MD, and Duane Campbell, ICU Chaplain at The Christ Hospital, professional counselor and ACGME Wellness Liaison, joined the fellows for a discussion on the unsustainable demands on health care workers and how new programming may help. Code Lavender is a program established for health care workers both as a referral and self-initiated ‘prescription’ for connecting with a chaplain or colleague to discuss the overwhelming stress of care within the current health system infrastructure. Watch below to learn more.

Panel discusses current and future ways organizations can implement healthier work places MARCH, 2022

With the focus on personal wellness, this month the fellows and panelists described a necessary shift in focus away from individuals and toward the organizations and their cultures that can keep their workforce vibrant. Few places is this shift in effort needed more than in health care, with every practice team member experiencing the strain from the past two years of the pandemic. From the private to public sector, the discussion reveals strategies in place and those that should take place, before a critical level of burnout is reached. The fellows and faculty were joined by Curtis Maples, a Senior Electromechanical Development Engineer for Ethicon, Inc. a Johnson & Johnson company; Meriden McGraw, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and mindfulness coach; and Duane Campbell, ICU Chaplain at The Christ Hospital, professional counselor and ACGME Wellness Liaison.

stratergies to find your personal space September, 2021

This month, a new class of fellows were again joined by Sister Karen Elliott, Director of Mission Integration at Mount St. Joseph University and Natalie Ball, PA, a fellow graduate, class of 2021. Natalie opened and closed the session with guided meditation, included in the highlights below, while Sister Karen encouraged fellows to share where they find joy in their work and recall patients who have shared comments that remind them of why they answered the call to serve in health care.

maintaining wellness within your organization MARCH, 2021

This month, the fellows reflected on ideas and strategies that the system and team members can employ to help keep each other well. From seemingly small gestures that facilitate team bonding to larger tangible rewards, particularly during these pandemic times, recognition and appreciation is highly valued. Minimal investments can have lasting impact, as demonstrated in this thoughtful conversation. The fellows and faculty were joined by Lauri Nandyal, MD from the University of Cincinnati Department of Family & Community Medicine, who continues her mission of advocating for sustainable, personal and community health care tools through diet, movement, rest/relaxation strategies, sleep and justice/equity work.

Personal well-being strategies in the time of covid-19 September, 2020

The third cohort of fellows, and also the first entirely virtual fellow class, was joined by Sister Karen Elliott, Director of Mission Integration at Mount St. Joseph University and Aurora Rivendale, MD, a family medicine physician dually boarded in psychiatry and faculty member at the University of Cincinnati. The discussion centered around allowing room to breathe, both literally and in not always keeping up with well-being activities. This discussion was particularly timely given the many new directions providers have been pulled and pushed during the pandemic.

what keeps you from running your life and what you can do to retain some control september, 2019

Sister Karen Elliott, Director of Mission Integration at Mount St. Joseph University and Eleanor Glass, MD of Integrative Family Care joined the discussion once again to unpack the clutter that keeps us occupied, often from ourselves. From tips in silencing your phone and email to simple soundtracks that can provide a few moments of quiet, they take the fellows on a brief journey back to the center of just being themselves.

what does wellness look like in an organization? March, 2019

This discussion forum looked at burnout at the organizational level and how that impacts the community, including those who both give and receive services, of that organization. The fellows also describe what factors at the macro level that consistently burnout physicians. The fellows and faculty were joined by Patsy Schwaiger, Director of the Wellness Center at Mt. St. Joseph University. Massage therapist and corporate transplant Melissa Salchli also offered her perspective from her dual experiences in the world of office demands and wellness provider.

how do you stay centered? march, 2019

In a world of competing demands, seemingly endless to-do lists, and simply not enough time in one day, how do we hit pause and take care of ourselves? Kristin Neff and Chris Germer from the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion offer a collection of self-guided meditation sessions you can tune into to tune out the clutter. These are simple, DIY exercises; no prior experience needed. Try a few out over the next few weeks and see if you can feel a difference. Click the bar below to start now.

Wellness panel discusses everyday practices you can do to reduce stress & burnout September, 2018

The fourth week of each month brings fellows, faculty, specialists and experts together for an event to highlight and explore one curricular theme. This group learning forum includes discussions on recent best practices, tools and building skill through experience. On September 25, 2018 our learning and discussion panel featured conversations on current stress and burnout levels (via completion of three surveys) and daily and long-term strategies for increasing wellness. Guest speakers included Dr. Eleanor Glass of Integrative Family Care and Sister Karen Elliott from Mount St. Joseph University.

how do you measure stress? september, 2018

During a recent exploration of their own challenges and successes in personal wellness, fellows completed a few surveys to see how their stress measures up. One tool they used has been around for the past few decades and has become a public domain go-to for a quick snapshot of stress levels; the Perceived Stress Scale. Try this out for yourself; scoring instructions are included. Do you agree with the results? What are some strategies you could use in everyday life to reduce your stress? Come back again in a few months to retake the survey and see how your stress has changed!