Creating a Culture of Wellness for Students, Faculty, and Staff in the College of Pharmacy

As part of the health sciences at Ohio State, wellness and preventative maintenance is something that is very important to the College of Pharmacy (COP). However, sometimes we work so hard to help others that we neglect our own health. Last year, the college continued to build upon existing wellness activities and created a formal Wellness Task Force consisting of the college's volunteer faculty and staff wellness innovators and elected student class wellness officers. Working together, this group helps to plan, implement and evaluate wellness initiatives to make wellness a way of life for everyone at the College of Pharmacy.

Description

As part of the health sciences at Ohio State, wellness and preventative maintenance is something that is very important to the College of Pharmacy. However, sometimes we work so hard to help others that we neglect our own health. Last year, the college continued to build upon its existing wellness activities and created a formal Wellness Task Force consisting of the college's volunteer faculty and staff wellness innovators, elected class wellness officers, and other guests as appropriate. This new, combined group is tasked with transforming the culture to make wellness a part of everyday life. Impact: In the first year of tracking wellness at the COP a total of 446 "touch points" specifically related to college wellness occurred with faculty and staff. All of these events were done at no cost to the college. The second year, the wellness program extended to include students. This effort now includes a more collaborative plan which aligns faculty, staff and student initiatives. The task force looked to build on existing community events and opportunities offered through Ohio State or local partners. One example was the promotion of the Winter Hiking Spree offered by Columbus Metro Parks. Students, faculty, and staff participated in a predetermined hike that combined fun, fitness and fellowship outside of Parks Hall and allowed for a family-friendly event. Touch points have grown, with each year increasing to the 2016-2017 high of 1,551 and the current year slated to surpass this number. Wellness innovators continue to offer programming such as wellness walks, emails, exercise classes, chair massages, and other items that are no cost or offered for free to colleges by organizations such as Your Plan for Health. Additionally, administration at the COP has shown support by providing an annual wellness budget, student counseling, and faculty helped to incorporate wellness into the PharmD curriculum. The wellness budget has helped to fund some of the more passive opportunities such as fresh fruit in the dean's office and the replacement of old water fountains with water-filling stations. In addition to college support, grants have helped aid opportunities such a "Take 5 Station," containing items anyone can check out for physical, mental, and social wellness such as soccer balls, coloring books, and Skip Its. The task force meets regularly and has future plans for a Parks Hall free little library and online healthy cookbook. An annual wellness survey has helped to evaluate the work being done and provides guidance on future focus areas for programming. The wellness innovators, and the College of Pharmacy as whole, are striving to create a cultural change that makes wellness a way of life for everyone within the unit.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Emily Keeler, Program Manager and Community Builder, College of Pharmacy, keeler.16@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Elizabbeth Trolli, Program Manager, College of Pharmacy; Anna Felmer, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; Ben Newell, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; Smit Patel, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; Meghan Ritchey, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; Maggie Sturm, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; Kevin Wenceslao, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; Victoria Williams, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; Leslie Wu, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; Caitlin Yocum, PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy; James Mcauley, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor, College of Pharmacy.

Keywords

wellness, programming, healthy workplace

Citation

Engaged Scholars, v. 6 (2018).

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/1811/84756

Collections

Engaged Scholars: Volume 6 (2018)

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