The UNC School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development and Center for Health Innovation are pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 School of Medicine Well-Being Pilot Awards. Proposals were sought from School of Medicine faculty for projects aimed at promoting the well-being of faculty, staff, and/or students at the UNC School of Medicine as well as medical trainees serving within the UNC Health system.
The UNC School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development and Center for Health Innovation are pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 School of Medicine Well-Being Pilot Awards. Proposals were sought from School of Medicine faculty for projects aimed at promoting the well-being of faculty, staff, and/or students at the UNC School of Medicine as well as medical trainees serving within the UNC Health system.
Two winners emerged that demonstrated novel approaches to improving well-being through individual solutions or system changes. The winning teams include:
Coaching a Wellbeing Leadership Culture: Bringing a Pediatrician Wellbeing Program into Practice
PI: Dr. Terry Noah, MD, Professor (Pediatrics)
Co-PI: Dr. Suzanne M. Kennedy, PhD, Administrative Director (Pediatrics)
Long work hours, charting and administrative duties, family obligations, and a culture of infallibility all contribute to physician burnout and poor well-being. While individually accessible wellness initiatives are currently available, UNC clinical department well-being scores remain consistent with the national average. UNC School of Medicine hopes to sustain and improve faculty well-being by using certified health coaches to help build personalized development plans which are integrated into the existing departmental faculty development and mentorship infrastructure.
Food and Well-Being: Systems Change to Promote Healthful Eating in the School of Medicine and UNC Health
PI: Dr. Alice Ammerman, DrPH, Professor (Nutrition)
Co-PI: Dr. Thomas Keyserling, MD, Professor (Internal Medicine)
Healthful dietary choices are important for all UNC Health and School of Medicine faculty, staff and students but may be difficult to achieve when catered meals on site are of poor nutritional quality. UNC School of Medicine aims to improve the catered food selections for UNC Health and School of Medicine events by providing caterer and menu selection guides and working with caterers to create “packages” that would make ordering healthy options easy and appealing.
Thanks to all of the applicants for their interest and dedication, and congratulations to the winners.
The Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development exists to support the development of UNC School of Medicine faculty members and to provide resources to assure their academic success. As an institution, UNC School of Medicine strives to promote a diverse, respectful environment where colleagues can excel in the interrelated areas of patient care, education, and research. To this end, the Office oversees programs and activities directed at all ranks of faculty, including tenured, tenure-track, research and clinical faculty. For more information on the Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development, visit https://www.med.unc.edu/facultyaffairs/.
Established by UNC Health Care and the UNC School of Medicine, the Center for Health Innovation initiates, evaluates and supports the adoption of disruptive, patient-centered innovations in the delivery and financing of health care. The Center strives to provide rapid assessment, coordinated facilitation, program management, partnership development and funding for innovation. To learn more about the Center, visit www.med.unc.edu/innovation.