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UVA Health’s greatest asset is its people, and helping them thrive is integral to our work and our strategic plan. The Office of Team Wellbeing (OTWB) contributes to this imperative by supporting the wellbeing of every UVA Health team member and team. 

“We want all team members to work in a culture of respect, professionalism, and safety at UVA Health,” says Joel Anderson, PhD, RN, Co-Director of OTWB, Assistant Professor of Nursing. “Prioritizing a culture of wellbeing through the application of evidence-based interventions that are tailored to the needs of the clinic, unit, or workplace builds an environment that supports meaningful compassion, enjoyment, and engagement at work.” 

To reflect the importance of wellbeing, and its influence on the strategic plan, the organization is receiving much-deserved support and recognition from leaders as well as updates to its branding, clarifying the wide range and large number of programs it administers. A cross-functional team, led by Ann Kellams, MD, NABBLM-C, IBCLC, FAAP, FABM, worked tirelessly over several months to fulfill the new vision thoughtfully and meaningfully. As of Dec. 1, the OTWB supports all team members throughout the UVA Health enterprise, including UVA Community Health.

OTWB is organized around three pillars: prevention, assessment, and response. These pillars are underpinned by Wisdom and Wellbeing principles and strategies, which include building individual wellbeing, improving interpersonal communication, and identifying and reducing unnecessary stressors.

One OTWB program, the Team Wellbeing Advocates program, has trained 195 advocates since 2022, including students from UVA School of Medicine and UVA School of Nursing. After training on the use of evidence-based tools to support area wellbeing plans, advocates are able to support their teams with evidence-based strategies to identify unnecessary stressors and apply wisdom practices that support the in-the-moment wellbeing of the team, using a model developed by Wisdom & Wellbeing Program co-founder Richard Westphal, PhD, RN, FAAN.

Maggie Reichard, BSN RN CNRN, a Designated Charge Nurse in the MICU and the MICU Wisdom and Wellbeing Committee Chair, notes: “Having a Wisdom and Wellbeing Committee in the MICU solidifies the notion that wellbeing efforts hold just as much importance in our work environment as quality metrics and unit practice changes. By incorporating the committee into MICU's professional governance structure, our unit culture has normalized thinking about individual and team wellbeing, wellness initiatives are expected and maintained, and team members are empowered to promote a healthy work environment.”

A recent OTWB event, the inaugural UVA Health Team Wellbeing Day on July 31, drew more than 800 participants. Ten wellbeing entities such as Hoos Well, UVA Recreation, and Faculty and Employee Program (FEAP) participated and shared resources. 

OTWB resources and programs are available to all UVA Health employees at the OTWB website. Examples include:

• Measurement programs such as Quick Check and Organizational Biopsy.
• Weekly Wisdom email
• Wellbeing Collaborative, which addresses redundancies and gaps, generates resources for emergent stressors, and partners to host events.
• UVA Mindfulness Center, offering free trainings in mindfulness-based stress reduction to all health system team members, with offerings throughout the year.
• Schwartz Center Rounds: a time for teams to come together to discuss and reflect on common themes in healthcare in community.
• Team and individual coaching.

“The expansion of wellbeing efforts at UVA Health is a demonstration of a formal commitment to reaching our shared goal of being the best place to work and receive care," says Dr. Kellams, Co-Director, UVA Health Office of Team Wellbeing, and Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Department of Pediatrics. "We are elevating the experience of working here to the same level as patient quality and safety. We cannot have one without the other.  The people who make up the team at UVA Health are our most important resource.”

“I want to encourage every team member to take advantage of the terrific offerings from the Office of Team Wellbeing,” says Mitchell Rosner, MD, MACP, FRCP, CEO, UVA Health, and EVP for Health Affairs, UVA. ““Their work continues to evolve in thoughtful ways, and I’m grateful for the care and creativity they bring to supporting our team.”