WellDOM – Wellness in the Department of Medicine
The Department of Medicine's Wellness Committee (WellDOM) was formed in 2018 with the vision that all faculty, staff and trainees will be thriving. The committee developed focus groups to address the following goals:
- Understand the leadership qualities that are most important for the development of a culture of wellness.
- Examine the barriers to wellness that currently exist and find ways to remove the barriers to focus on solutions.
WellDOM's Strategic Pillars:
Current Programs
Small Grants Program
WellDOM will fund up to four 12 month small grants of $2500 each. The goals of this program are:1) to stimulate new, innovative wellness projects which have a strong potential to improve wellbeing among their population of focus
2) to empower University of Colorado Department of Medicine faculty, staff, and learners to use quality improvement to improve wellbeing for their teams
Priority will be given to projects with a strong rationale; that have the potential to be scaled to larger populations; and that can be achieved within the specified budget and timeframe. Learn more and apply.
APP Balint Groups
No matter your level of training or experience, all clinicians find certain patients challenging to connect with in a therapeutic way. Balint Groups have helped clinicians worldwide to improve their ability to connect with and care for their patients. The supportive environment of a small group of colleagues helps clinicians to reduce burnout and rediscover joy in medicine. Watch this video to learn more about Balint groups and the Balint method.
APP Balint Groups Forming
- 3rd Sunday of the month from 5–6 p.m. Contact Katie Dickerman to join.
- 2nd Friday of the month in person from 7–8 a.m. Contact Matthew Pesko to join.
Past the Pandemic
This
Past the Pandemic ECHO series offers providers and other staff working in health care settings an opportunity to navigate, normalize and validate worries, stressors and experiences related to various health care environments.
Participants will develop an awareness of the manifestations of stress along a continuum. With this framework, each session will provide helpful, tangible tools in a psychoeducational, didactic format to increase capacity, mitigate burnout, elevate
connectedness and mindfulness, and promote self-efficacy and quality patient care.
Staff Mentorship Program
The
Department of Medicine Staff Mentorship Program was developed by the WellDOM initiative to help staff find experienced mentors who can guide them on their professional journeys and is tailored to the unique needs of administrative
staff within the department.
Key Dates:
September 2023 – Applications submitted and reviewed. Mentors & mentees will be selected and grouped for
the program
Biofeedback Pilot Program: HeartMath + Muse Mindfulness Coaching
WellDOM is excited to offer the opportunity to explore the use of biofeedback devices to enhance relaxation and mindfulness. Department of Medicine employees can sign up for a 6-week pilot project to experience a technology-based
biofeedback tool. Choose from two devices:
HeartMath: a biofeedback tool that senses your heart rate variability and translates that into a visual output to help you increase relaxation and a state
of coherence. Coherence is a specific sinusoidal pattern of heart rate variability that has been shown to correlate with improved mood, states of relaxation and increased energy. HeartMath is a device that is worn on the ear and communicates to your
cellphone.
Muse: a research-grade EEG device that passively senses your brain activity and translates it into the guiding sounds of weather to help you stay calm and focused. Muse is a device worn on the forehead and communicates to your cellphone. It measures brain wave activity and correlates types of activity with audible feedback.
- After enrolling, devices may be picked up at the Lowry Medical Campus or outside RC2 at the Anschutz Campus.
- Enrollment is free, but a refundable deposit is required to reserve the devices.
- Virtual training to use the devices will be provided upon request.
- Participants will fill out a survey at the beginning and end to assess for hopeful benefit.
For questions and to sign up for the program, please contact Lara Kirk-Bride Romero or Francie Palmer.
WellDOM @ the Table
Modeled
after COMPASS Groups at Mayo Clinic, which saw a decrease burnout as much as 15 percent. Open to all Department of Medicine staff, faculty (APP's, MDs, DO, PhD's) and trainees, these self-formed groups of 6-7 participants meet 6 times in six months
for at least one hour over a meal, and talk about a topic from a list of topics developed for the groups. If you are interested in forming and leading a WellDOM @ the Table group Contact Kristin Jensen (kristin.jensen@cuanschutz.edu).
WellDOM @ the Table Leader Instructions 2022–23
Recognition Program
Lift up the many courageous, compassionate and extraordinary things that you and your teams do every day by recognizing your teams and people. DOM Employee Recognition Nomination Form
Stress Continuum Badge Cards
The
Stress Continuum was first created for use by the U.S. Marine Corps for use in combat setting. Often used as a snapshot at how soldiers were managing stress in combat
operations, Lauren McGladrey, PMHNP, senior instructor in the College of Nursing, adapted the Stress Continuum for First Responders.