Aromatherapy, yoga mats, healthy snacks, massage chairs, Spatial technology – this is what the wellness rooms at Wellstar medical centers and health parks provide tangibly. But it’s the intangible benefits that keep team members returning day after day, shift after shift, to reflect, refuel and recharge.
Since opening in 2022 under the guidance of Employee Wellness and Catalyst by Wellstar, the 16 wellness rooms across our system have been visited nearly 72,000 times. That’s 72,000 opportunities for team members to prioritize mental, physical and spiritual health during their shifts.
Before wellness rooms, team members had very few places to collect themselves while at work, which can be extremely valuable following a challenging patient emergency or taxing shift. Most of the spaces available were also within view of patients and visitors, making it nearly impossible to take a moment undisturbed. Funded by donations to the Wellstar Foundation – many from team members themselves – the wellness rooms send a powerful message to team members: your well-being is important, and you deserve to have a safe place to prioritize your care.
“I was amazed when I first walked in,” said Casey Hipps, emergency department ultrasound technologist at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and a frequent visitor of her local wellness room. “The room was so clean, calming and well-designed with research-driven technology that makes it feel like you’re not in a hospital anymore.”
Casey visits the room every chance she gets, and she encourages others to do the same.
“In my role, I often have to bend in uncomfortable positions throughout the day, but I’ve found that just taking 10 minutes to stretch, breathe and decompress has helped me both physically and mentally. When it comes to patient care, we can’t pour from an empty cup. Our leaders encourage us to use the wellness rooms and I am so grateful to have their support, as well as the generosity of those who donated to make these rooms possible.”
Through the Wellstar Foundation’s Team Member Giving program, thousands of team members across Wellstar contribute to initiatives that enhance care for our patients, communities and fellow team members.
“Patients and community members look to us in healthcare for help and healing,” said Lauren Ramey, nurse manager in the Outpatient Burn, Wound and Hyperbaric Clinic at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center. “I’m grateful to be part of an organization that knows it is equally important to check in with our caregivers and ensure they have the resources they need to cope with their stressful work environment. That’s why I give to the Foundation — to go beyond and amplify my impact through giving.”
Wellstar team members interested in enrolling in automatic payroll deduction through Team Member Giving can visit wellstar.org/teammembergiving. As a not-for-profit, donations to Wellstar are tax-deductible and every dollar helps advance the mission, accelerate innovation and has the power to transform healthcare for all in Georgia. For anyone looking to learn how philanthropic partnership with the Foundation is making a difference, visit wellstar.org/foundation.
