Building a Resilient Health Care Organization
RUSH Wellness is driven by the philosophy that quality patient care is directly tied to the well-being of our providers, students and staff. At a time when health care professionals around the country are suffering from unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression and burnout, RUSH Wellness is creating highly innovative, evidence-based solutions that are positively impacting our community and the future of health care.
Center for Clinical Wellness
- Creation of a culture of wellness, including programs to address burnout, support resilience and increase joy in work.
- Increased support for mental health, including access to care, reduction in stigma and strategic partnerships to prevent suicide.
- Production of leading research through an emphasis on data and analytics.
Services
This was the first time I had an appointment with my counselor in person. The space was nice and welcoming. The environment and appointment were excellent at creating a safe space and a calming feeling. I also feel the same way via telehealth appointments, but it was nice to experience this kind of space in the RUSH campus.
In our counseling appointment, my counselor addressed exactly what I wanted to talk about and provided many options to cope with stress. I appreciated her starting with a meditation exercise that I have used since our session. She was especially kind and encouraging. I appreciated her depth of knowledge and perspective. She brought up resources I could use after the session. I look forward to working with her again!
My counselor has been extremely helpful to me. She is an exceptional listener and validates the way I am feeling and the important decisions on my mind. She is encouraging and supportive and provides the perfect outlet which I needed at the time of my counseling. I will certainly return to her if I need additional help and would recommend her to any student or staff who is thinking about counseling.
Wellness Programs
- Well-Being Index: Use this clinically validated tool to better understand your well-being and access tools to support you.
- Mental Health Forums: Join discussions about mental health to raise awareness and support for well-being.
- Wellness Workshops and Talks: Engage with your colleagues on wellness-related issues.
- Online Learning Modules: Learn how to incorporate wellness into your daily life both at work and at home.
- Rooftop Yoga: Stretch out on Rush’s rooftop with your colleagues in a weekly course led by certified instructors.
- Mindfulness Training: Develop your mindfulness practice through a formal curriculum with certified instructors.
COVID-19 Response
RUSH has been uniquely organized and innovative during the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical element to RUSH's success was a strong focus on employee wellness. RUSH developed direct, proactive and empathic strategies to promote ongoing staff well-being. These interventions received national support as a best practice by the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine.
A wellness toolkit for health systems
Early in RUSH’s evolving response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a multidisciplinary Wellness Task Force was created to coordinate the institution’s efforts. Based on the collective expertise of an interdisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse liaisons, licensed clinical social workers and chaplains, four evidence-based mitigation tactics were implemented, which we believe all health care organizations should incorporate into their crisis response. These interventions work to preserve the emotional and physical well-being of front line employees during the COVID-19 crisis.
Self Care Video Series
Wellness is a journey. While this journey is different for everyone, we can all benefit from a little help along the way. Featuring experts from across the RUSH community, our self care video series provides recommendations to support well-being during the pandemic.
In the News
- Treating burnout in the COVID Ward
- Creating Wellness in a Pandemic: A Practical Framework for Health Systems Responding to Covid-19
- 5 wellness task force tactics designed to prioritize physician health
- RUSH Wellness Supports Front Line Mental Health
- RUSH Wellness Forwards Mental Health Support for Providers
- RUSH Wellness develops innovative tool to assess employee well-being
- Hospital Workers Processing Trauma Now That Pandemic Pace is Slowing
- Rethinking Wellness in Health Care Amid Rising COVID-19–Associated Emotional Distress
- How the last year has forced rethinking on physician burnout
- Success Story: Tactics to Prioritize Physician Well-Being During a Pandemic and Beyond
- Clinical Resilience Among Practitioners Caring for Older Adults
- The Pandemic Has Forced a Mental Health Reckoning in Medicine