VCU brings together employee well-being experts to share best practices

By Dina Weinstein

On college campuses, employee wellness is about more than employees. It's also about student success and, as at Virginia Commonwealth University, the health of patients. With such a broad impact on the university community, well-being experts are often called upon to provide innovative programs and resources to support employees with both professional and personal topics.

This month, VCU hosted the University Well-being Symposium, which brought together 50 experts from across Virginia and beyond for a daylong exchange of ideas on best practices for strong communications, connections and care in the workplace.

The symposium, held at the Graduate Richmond hotel, followed previous gatherings hosted by Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. Cindi Phares of VCU Human Resources, program manager for employee well-being and recognition, organized this year's event to spotlight successful programming at VCU and other universities.

"Employees are driving the university mission," said Suzanne Weaver, director of operations and wellness for VCU Employee Health Services. "If you don't take care of that foundation, none of the rest of it is going to be as successful as it could be. That's what we're trying to support."

George Mason University's staff engagement program manager highlighted an initiative to help employees connect on a personal level. An Auburn University staff member showcased a program that helps staffers understand their emotions and feelings. And Weaver shared insight on a VCU effort that is both expansive and personalized.

In the Employee Wellness Screening program, VCU staffers get an annual invitation around their birthdays for a brief, free screening to help them identify risk factors that may contribute to chronic health conditions. Based on the results, VCU medical professionals can highlight services and resources available - and Weaver said some employees have said the screening may have saved their lives.

"We had one comment that said, 'This is the best evidence I've seen so far that my employer cares about me.'" she said. "It's a creative, out-of-the-box solution."

Phares hopes her colleagues at other colleges and workplaces take such ideas and make them their own, as she has done at VCU after previous symposiums.

"People are realizing how important well-being is and how much support these resources provide them - like TimelyCare, where employees can talk to a counselor on demand," she said, noting that VCU's services have helped employees with challenges ranging from stress reduction to difficult landlords and family mental health concerns. VCU's RamStrong is a valuable collection of well-being resources for students and employees.

Amy Moore, wellness consultant supervisor at the CommonHealth program that serves state employees, said the symposium was an opportunity not just to glean ideas from colleagues - but to recommit to what they stand for.

"What well-being professionals are here to do," Moore said, "is to gently remind employees while you are focused on student and patient well-being, you also need to take care of you - because you can't pour from an empty cup."

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