A new emphasis on wellness in the BSD

Discussions of vitality, wellness, and resilience have become much more prominent in recent years as employees throughout the Biological Sciences Division have all chased the elusive concept of integration within our professional and personal lives while struggling with the burdens of the pandemic. My colleagues in the Graduate Medical Education (GME) sphere (i.e. coordinators, managers, administrators, or directors who work with an accredited training program, and their resident and fellow colleagues) have also seen the importance of well-being become integrated in our programmatic requirements. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has tasked programs with ensuring work-life balance for trainees,  paying special attention to the “psychological, emotional, and physical well-being are critical in the development of the competent, caring, and resilient physician.” 

Since 2017, when the ACGME revised the Common Program Requirements for all accredited residency and fellowship programs to include well-being, the conversation has continued to expand as non-physician employees working in these areas have asked, “What about us?” Our work directly impacts the overall well-being of physicians in the medical center and the greater BSD community, but without mandated requirements from a higher accrediting body, how do we help improve the vitality and wellness for each other on a day to day basis?  As these conversations gain more momentum, institutions such as ours are taking great strides to address these questions and issues head-on beyond those mandates.

One of the recent improvements within the BSD has been the appointment of Dr. Bree Andrews into the newly created role of Chief Wellness and Vitality Officer for Physicians.  While directly tasked with assessing the state of wellness at UCM and the BSD, implementing new programs to address burnout, and improve collegiality and ease of practice amongst the physicians, her work will be beneficial to the BSD community at large.

Dr. Andrews’ personal focus and beliefs stem from the idea that the organization, its offices, and individuals can prioritize wellness, specifically within our work, and identify what gives our professional lives meaning and purpose.  Her hope is that, while her role is focused on physicians, the trends will spread across the BSD.  We are at all all-time high for professional burnout; but her hope is that the added light shone upon our new reality will give us the opportunity to re-think how we implement our daily tasks and personal needs to advance our professional experience, both personally and for our colleagues.

While many Departments already have groups interested in and tasked with improving wellness, efficiency, collegiality, and resilience, they may not always feel accessible.  Dr. Andrews is currently focused on speaking to department chairs and section heads, but  she says every member of the BSD should feel empowered to address their local unit’s needs and begin their own journey. Just taking a few minutes to identify one or two minor things you can do can improve your day and someone else’s this week.

“Making room to create new patterns in your world is both challenging and rewarding,” she said. “Wellness can be anything from seeing the right person on the right day for a quick hello to fixing a major work-flow issue.”

While Dr. Andrews and her team have their work cut out for them, staff members shouldn’t discount the impact and influence we have ourselves.  For more information about resources within the BSD, visit Perspectives, our Staff and Faculty Assistance Program.