The Heart of Health Care: Advancing Staff Excellence in Medicine Conference

On good days, staff and team members can see the impact of their valuable contributions to the world of health care and academic medicine. But on others, competing priorities and deadlines, work tension and burnout can cloud our vision. How can we increase our ability to better fit our jobs into our values and our lives to increase our sense of belonging?

According to the keynote speaker, Helka Casey, LPCC-S, CEAP, licensed professional clinical counselor supervisor, at the inaugural staff conference at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, it comes down to this — scheduling time away from work to reflect and identify your personal impact and purpose in the field of medicine. She says taking this step will lead to more peace and productivity.

“Our jobs help us meet our basic needs, food, shelter and financial, while giving us opportunities to utilize our talents and strengths,” Casey says. “But they also help us find meaning, meaning that makes us more engaged, able to build better workplace relationships and be more open to new learning.”

In late June, over 150 attendees from the College of Medicine and Health Sciences Colleges attended The Heart of Health Care: Advancing Staff Excellence in Medicine Conference, co-hosted by The Ohio State University College of Medicine Staff Advisory Committee (COMSAC) and Belonging and Well-Being Council (BWBC). There they were able to connect with the college culture where staff thrive personally and professionally. And have the chance to explore resources they might not have known were available to them.  

Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS, dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine, praised everyone for their strength and resilience in weathering the continual advancements and changes in academic medicine. As she closed out the conference, she shared that she is proud to work alongside such passionate and innovative team members. She also shared what she hoped everyone would take with them after the event — knowledge of everyone’s deep appreciation for their efforts and commitment to our mission.

“Whether you are supporting our labs, helping patients behind the scenes, coordinating complex schedules or guiding our students through their journeys, you are essential to the life of this college and the work you do matters,” Dr. Bradford says. “It does not go unnoticed, and I truly appreciate each and every one of you.”

Leilani Ferreras, MA, project manager for the Office of the Dean and Steph Stump, program coordinator in health sciences, served as conference co-chairs, delivering a wide range of activities that reflected the diverse needs of staff.

“We were intentional about inviting organizations that represented a wide range of wellness dimensions so that staff could connect with resources that truly resonated with their needs,” Ferreras says.

“I care deeply about creating opportunities where people feel supported, valued, and connected,” Stump says. “Knowing this was something created by our staff, for our staff, was incredibly rewarding.”

The resource fair was staffed by teams who shared resources and connections to a wide range of wellness, exercise and arts organizations and programs. Cyrus Adeli, a multi-discipline analyst in the Clinical Skills Education and Assessment Center, works in the comprehensive medical simulation facility to create and deliver assessment of skills and procedures for students, residents and other medical trainees. He says the conference provided him with a chance to step away from the simulation bays and his computer to refocus and relax.

“This gives us the opportunity to reconnect with ourselves and examine our personal and professional goals while reconnecting with others,” Adeli says.

The conference gave Elena C. Moore, MSSA, LSW, wellness program coordinator with the Gabbe Wellbeing Office, a chance to put faces to names, ask questions and really listen to what matters most to staff right now. She says initiatives like The Wellness Cart, an outreach service available to all staff during all shifts, meets staff where they are and offers quick access to moments of care and connection.

“Wellbeing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and hearing directly from staff helped me better understand what’s needed,” Moore says. “Those conversations will directly inform how I approach my work.”