Wellness

Wellness Statement of Commitment

The Washington University SOM/Barnes-Jewish Hospital/St. Louis Children’s Hospital GME Consortium is an organization deeply committed to developing an educational environment that is supportive of the well-being of house staff and faculty. We recognize the primary importance of having a clinical learning environment that reinforces respect for patients and providers and holds all physicians and staff mutually accountable for their personal wellbeing and that of other members of the healthcare team.

At an institutional and programmatic level we are committing resources to reduce provider burnout and enhance resilience of our house staff as they learn the challenging process of caring for patients and balancing societal needs. We encourage house staff to actively engage in community efforts to bridge the differences across our diverse community and provide programs to support house staff as they meet the physical and emotional challenges of healthcare providers in our world.

Emotional Health

GME Wellness Counseling (link out to new page) – coming soon
Peer to Peer Support Program (after adverse events) – coming soon
Mindfulness
- Move into MIndfulness Program (WU)
- Mindfulness Apps
- Mindful awareness podcasts
- Crisis relief support: monetary fund available for employees of BJH who have experienced an acute personal or family crisis
- Ten Ted Talks for burnout
- Making the Difference – preventing medical trainee suicide
- National Suicide Hotline: 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- St. Louis Behavioral Health Response

Physical Health

Physicians accepting new primary care patients (PCP List) as of January 2020 (pdf)
Pediatricians accepting new primary care patients (PCP List) as of July 2019 (pdf)
Fatigue Countermeasures 2019_09_09 (pdf)
Fatigued House Staff Reimbursement Request form (pdf)
Should I see a Sleep Specialist?
Online Sleep Modules:
- CBT-I Coach
Washington University Nurse Advocate (for fellows)
Fitness facilities:
- Move by BJC Fitness Center – BJH/SLCH residents pay $32/month, no initiation fee; WU fellows – $36/month + $50 initiation fee
- Danforth Campus – Sumers Recreation Center – WU fellows pay $200/year or $25 monthly, $10 day pass. General parking is free before 7am and after 5pm on weekdays and all day on weekends.
- Washington University Medical Center Noon time aerobics classes
- WashU group fitness classes at Olin Residence Hall – $32 for 8 weeks of unlimited classes. Free if a Sumers Rec member. Class schedule posted on the site.
- Discounted Gym Memberships for WU employees (see list at Wellness Connection)
- Free yoga, Mondays 4-5pm, SLCH

Work-Life Balance and Community Building

The Dis-orientation guide: A guide to the city, school and life in St. Louis (written by WU med students)
Washington University Medical Center Housestaff Auxiliary – organization for all students, residents, fellows and faculty and their significant others. Provides a monthly newsletter of local resources, events, preferred provider lists and more.
Washington University Wellness Connection – Wellness programs, rewards and other resources
BJC Wellness resources
Grocery delivery services:
- Instacart – delivery from local grocers, CVS, Target, pet stores and others
- Shipt – delivery from local grocers, CVS, Target, pet stores and others

Parenting Resources – parenting, lactation and childcare

Child care on campus
Brown School CARE list – a student managed list of care providers. The University does not endorse or vet any individuals included on this list. If you contact an individual on this list, you are accepting sole responsibility for your engagement or interaction with that person.
Backup child care – for Wash U fellows. Must register dependents before care can be provided. 15 uses per family per year.
Lactation room program

Professional and Personal Development

BJC Learning Institute Courses
Time Management Coaching – Jill Farmer
Learning specialists
- Jim Russell, Ph.D., L.P.C.
- Gateway neuropsychology
Becker Medical Library Services
English Language Program (ELP) Courses (Office for International Students and Scholars)
InPRint Editing Services – free scientific editing and schema design
LGBTQ+ Resources
Office of Diversity Programs
Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Wellness Tips

Personal Outsourcing

Time is a valuable and finite commodity. With limited personal free time available, it’s important for you to consider how that time is spent and how that impacts your wellness. While there are some tasks that only you can do, a number of things can be outsourced to simplify your life and allocate more time to the things that promote your wellness.

Consider the following when deciding whether or not to outsource:

How much is your time worth? Outsource tasks that are “cheaper” than the time it would take you to complete the task.
Outsource the tasks that you dread and procrastinate. The distress associated with tasks that loom on the horizon may be easily resolved by passing it onto someone else.
Keep the tasks that you enjoy. If you love cooking, for example, find ways to be engaged and present so that you enjoy the process.

Below is a list of tasks that are commonly outsourced. Please note that GME has not screened and does not endorse any of these vendors. Please use your discretion when purchasing goods or services from these resources.

Assistance with Projects:

Prepared Meals

Mobile Chef Meal Prep

Bombay Tiffin Club

Healthy for Life Meals

Laundry Services

Deliveries

Grocery Delivery

Other Wellness Resources

Local:

Employee assistance programs

BJC HealthCare and St. Louis Children’s Hospital EAP
- BJC/SLCH EAP services counseling, wellness options, legal resources, financial planning, child and elder care consultation, college planning, physician referrals and more
Washington University EAP
- WashU EAP services includes mental health / psychiatric resources as well as referrals for child/elder care needs, work-life resources with referral lists, legal guidance and financial resources.

National: