February 2024 Spotlight

The Office of the Chief Wellness Officer is proud to recognize Buckeye Wellness Innovators (BWIs) who actively create a workplace culture and environment of health and well-being. Congratulations to Danielle Brunet from Internal Medicine for being the February Buckeye Wellness Innovator spotlight!

As a Buckeye Wellness Innovator, Danielle has created a Wellness Microsoft TEAMS channel to provide updated information on wellness opportunities and creates a culture of wellness by including wellness goals in yearly performance evaluations. Danielle would encourage other BWIs to stay up to date on all the resources available to their staff and to make an effort to highlight specific opportunities and review these topics during staff meetings.  

Read more about Heather's efforts to enrich the wellness campus culture in her department.

Q: Why did you join the Buckeye Wellness Innovator program?

To have an opportunity to expand my knowledge about wellness opportunities so that I could be a good steward of the resources available. 

Q: Why is being a Buckeye Wellness Innovator important to you? 

I think engaging in a wellness-based culture helps the overall organization.  Being an innovator provides the opportunity for me to support my staff and empower them to actively engage in addressing their own Wellness.

Q: Share a few ways you are embracing the ten dimensions of wellness and providing opportunities for faculty/staff to engage in activities.

• Created a Wellness Microsoft TEAMS channel to provide update information on wellness opportunities.
• Including Wellness goals in yearly performance evaluations
• Try to attend Health Coaching webinar events and share the zoom recordings and resources with my team
• Sharing information on any financial wellness resources.  Specifically, Tuition.io- I have had several staff members meet their school loan forgiveness goals

Q: With so many competing priorities while at work, finding time to plan wellness activities for faculty/staff can be difficult. How do you find time to prioritize wellness and develop new or innovative ideas for wellness activities?

Trying to incorporate wellness into staff meetings, either highlighting a topic or using quarterly staff meetings to engage in a group wellness activity. 

Q: How have you overcome barriers to engaging colleagues in your wellness efforts during the workday? 

The first thing you have to do is lead by example.  Try to communicate with staff what I am doing for myself.  Share ideas for quick, intermittent activities that can be done during the day.  For a quick wellness walk, use the JustBreathe website to complete a quick breathing exercise in between patient calls or visit Integrative Medicine’s Guided Imagery page for a 4-minute guided imagery exercise.  I try to promote the idea that wellness is like a continuous improvement project.  You have to be engaged in something little, every day.

Q: Why is it important for leaders to embrace and model wellness behavior and your role as a BWI?

Prioritizing good health helps with avoiding burnout.  I had a lightbulb moment during the Pandemic and realized wellness is not a passive activity.  As an employee, it is important to hear from leadership that this culture is supported.

Q: How do your leaders model wellness behavior?

Encouraging effective/proactive use of PTO.  Providing opportunities to engage in wellness activities. Encouraging completing work during the 40-hour work week and not working after hours or on weekends.

Q: What benefits have you seen or experienced, personally or professionally, as a result of the program?

I generally like helping staff learn more about wellness options and I think having those conversations has helped me develop better relationships with staff.  Engaging in a culture of Wellness has changed the way I approach work.  

Q: What would your dream be if you could accomplish anything as a Buckeye Wellness Innovator team?

A yearly retreat as a group or a “wellness” room within clinics.

Q: What advice would you pass on to other Buckeye Wellness Innovators to help them create a culture of wellness in their department?

Stay up to date on all the resources available to your staff.  ( etc: YP4H activities, wellness webinars, EAP, LSA).  Make an effort to highlight specific opportunities and review these topics during staff meetings.