August is National Wellness Month, which emphasizes the importance of self-care and stress management, as well as the development of healthy routines. For the UAB Medicine Office of Wellness, these practices are at the forefront year-round. Through its various initiatives and resources, the Office of Wellness strives to create an environment where UAB employees thrive in their work.
“The UAB Medicine Office of Wellness is a team dedicated to the wellness of individuals, teams, and the workplace, through a commitment to research, education, and services,” said David A. Rogers, M.D., chief wellness officer of UAB Medicine.
Rogers took on the role of chief wellness officer in 2018 and began to build the program from the ground up. “My hope was that the program would grow so that my position would become full time which, quite fortunately, is what happened,” Rogers said. “This was made possible due to the initial gift from the ProAssurance Corporation followed by substantial support from Heersink School of Medicine, the UAB Health System, and the UAB Health Services Foundation that made it possible to develop the team.”
Six years later, the office has a lot to be proud of. Through their research, they have played a large part in uncovering the distress healthcare professionals at every level face daily. They have brought awareness to the post-traumatic stress of healthcare professionals following the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as highlighted the growing mistreatment of nurses and advanced practice providers by patients. The office also supported the application for a grant from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) by Patricia Patrician, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, which led to the creation of the WeCare program. Rogers himself has written a new book called Frontline Healthcare Leadership, co-written by Cullen Clark, Ph.D. The book aims to help healthcare professionals make their working environments the best they can be, both for themselves and for their patients.
Rogers asserts that the primary focus of the Office of Wellness is the well-being and support of all who work and train in UAB Medicine. “We would like UAB Medicine to be a place where everyone is engaged in work that is important to them with adequate resources to do the work. Our vision also includes that everyone works in teams marked by mutual support and respect and has a leader who cares about them, supports them, and values them as people. We believe that everyone must participate in order to bring this vision into reality, including senior leaders, front line leaders, and every person working in the organization.”
Even with all this success, Rogers and his team have their sights set on the future. “We have several initiatives underway,” said Rogers. “Laurence Boitet, Ph.D., was recruited into our office to develop programming and support specific to the biomedical scientist and physician scientist learner groups. She is developing a program of research about this group along with the wellness of biomedical scientists and physician scientists.”
The Office of Wellness also plans on introducing coaching as one of its services. “Amanda Carmichael, who recently joined our team as administrative director, is a board-certified coach, and Megan Hays and I have begun the certification process and are also preparing to meet with coaching clients in the near future.
The Office of Wellness continues to grow, and there are many ways to keep up with the newest updates. Visit the UAB Office of Wellness website for the latest information. You can also subscribe to the Take 5 newsletter, or follow the office on Instagram and LinkedIn.