20 new wellness rooms open to support the health of healthcare workers
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nearly half of health care workers said they felt burned out.
Internal staff surveys have shown that wellness rooms can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, compassion fatigue and burnout, while increasing positive mood and cognitive alertness.
June 26, 2024
NYC Health + Hospitals announced the completion of 20 new wellness rooms where staff can relax during their shifts. Funded primarily by philanthropic funds, the million-dollar project was designed by WXY Studio and took two years to complete. The newly renovated lounges include high-quality furniture, soothing lighting, artificial plants, aesthetic décor such as wall graphics and decals, and pieces from the health system’s art collection. The wellness rooms are centralized locations for wellness programming, where staff can interact with colleagues, participate in peer support, learn about internal and external wellness resources, participate in wellness events, and connect with their specific needs. They also provide a space for staff to relax, rest, and recharge before caring for patients. The Jeffrey H. and Shari L. Aronson Family Foundation made a leadership contribution to support the creation of the 20 wellness rooms. Other donors, including the Ira W. DeCamp Foundation and the George Link Jr. Foundation, contributed to the project.
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nearly half of health care workers say they feel burned out, and recently stated that the mental health crisis in the health care workforce is skyrocketing. The Physicians Foundation found that more than 76% of physicians, residents, and medical students agree that stigma of physician mental health still exists. According to an internal staff survey, the wellness room can reduce stress, anxiety, feelings of depression, compassion fatigue, and burnout, and increase positive mood and cognitive alertness. The wellness room is a recent addition to the health system’s investment in employee wellness as part of the comprehensive Helping Healers Heal (H3) program. Other programs offering employee support include the HHArt of Medicine program, an observational art program to address staff burnout and compassion fatigue, and the Employee Assistance Program, which allows staff to access outside professional mental health services.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as a “disease of 21.”st “The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has newly declared stress a workplace hazard.” Chief Wellness Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals Jeremy Segal, MA, RDT, LCAT“U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has sounded the alarm about burnout among the country’s healthcare workforce, warning that if not addressed, the situation could lead to severe workforce shortages in the coming years. The country is at a crisis point where workers leaving the healthcare industry due to poor mental health and wellness could leave us less prepared for future public health emergencies. At NYC Health + Hospitals, we are tackling the adversities associated with stress, anxiety, depression, compassion fatigue and burnout head on by investing in the wellness of our employees. We care for our staff so they can care for the people we serve.”
“Our family has long been committed to helping ensure access to opportunity for all people, and supporting health and mental health care has been a key component of achieving this goal through our foundation.” Shari Aronson, Trustee, Jeffrey H. Aronson Family Foundation“Furthermore, as New Yorkers, we have been deeply inspired by the enduring commitment and heroism of the NYC Health + Hospitals team throughout the pandemic and recognized early on that they, too, needed care. We are incredibly proud to support the Helping Healers Heal initiative and contribute to a strong and enduring culture of health across this incredible hospital system that serves the most vulnerable in our city and communities every day.”
“The Department of Medical Arts curates using intentional design principles, a lens that considers the communities that will experience the environments we develop.” Larissa Trinder, Vice President of Medical Arts, NYC Health + Hospitals“We couldn’t be more proud to be part of NYC Health + Hospitals’ Wellness Rooms. These spaces are meant to support and recognize the staff who care for us all, and we’re grateful to be part of a larger system-wide wellness strategy that cares for the mental health of our staff.”
“We wanted to create a space where staff felt supported and valued. We know that true health starts from within, so we are thrilled to open this beautiful new wellness center.” Cristina Contreras, LMSW, MPA, FABC, Chief Executive Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan“This new center will provide staff, who often put patient care above their own, with a place to take a break from a stressful day. It symbolizes Metropolitan’s commitment to holistic wellness, offering a variety of wellness programs aimed at enhancing the physical and mental health of our staff.”
“We envision our wellness rooms as places for social connection, and with colorful nature graphics, we aim to nurture and support our essential healthcare workers.” Julie Torres Moskovitz, director of sustainability at WXY, the architecture firm that designed the new wellness room.“This project has been a wonderful collaboration of diverse voices, transforming these neutral spaces into art and nature-filled zones where people can recharge and relax. Now that the doors are open, we are excited to watch the project evolve and take on a life of its own.”
“Before this wellness room opened, we didn’t have a place to relax,” he said. Jaslyn Reyes, BSN, RN, AMB-BC, Lead Nurse Practitioner at NYC Health+Hospitals/Metropolitan Pediatric Clinic“Now I have a place where I can de-stress. The atmosphere is so calming, it makes me feel relaxed.”
Launched at NYC Health + Hospitals in 2018, the Helping Healers Heal program (H3) aims to help employees identify and monitor stress, help build resilience, and access recovery and coping support services. The program is based on national research that points out that healthcare workers are the “second victims” of traumatic events commonly experienced in all healthcare settings. Since its inception, the program has grown to more comprehensively address compassion fatigue, burnout, complex and collective trauma, and more. All H3 teams include licensed mental health workers and other behavioral health professionals.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the nation’s largest public health care system, serving more than one million New Yorkers annually at more than 70 patient care locations across the five boroughs of New York City. A robust network of outpatient, community-based primary and specialty care centers underpins care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agencies and MetroPlus Health Plan, all supported by 11 vital hospitals. Our diverse workforce of more than 43,000 is singularly focused on helping every New Yorker, without exception, live the healthiest life possible. Learn more at www.nychealthandhospitals.org. Connect with us on Facebook. twitterInstagram, LinkedIn, etc.
