Frontline team members now have a place to reflect, refuel and recharge at work, funded by the Wellstar Foundation, with innovative technology provided by Catalyst by Wellstar and strategic design implemented by our Employee Wellness group.
Tucked away at nearly every Wellstar facility is a haven for team members to unwind from a challenging shift or stressful day. These Wellness Rooms, which opened in 2022, were designed to transport team members beyond the walls of their facility.
In the Wellness Rooms, lights are dimmed, soundscapes play lightly in the background and the air is filled with fresh, calming scents. Team members flow in and out of the room at their leisure with a tap of their badge, grabbing a healthy snack, a spritz of an essential oil, or a moment of stillness while enjoying the massage chair.
The rooms vary by size at each location, but every room is equipped with tools to provide a serene and safe environment for team members who find themselves in search of calm amidst what can sometimes feel like chaos.
Since opening, thousands of team members have benefited from the Wellness Room, utilizing the space as an outlet for stress management and as a resource for workplace self-care.
Brianna Arrington, an emergency department technician at Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, recently found herself needing a safe place to process the tragic loss of a pediatric patient. Brianna was led to a Wellness Room by her leader and encouraged to take a moment to breathe.
“This quiet and relaxing space gave me the time to decompress from the anxiety I was feeling and helped me to calm down away from the situation. The Wellness Room was a tremendous help.” Brianna was able to return to her shift and continue serving patients the rest of the day.
Studies show that physically moving away from a hectic environment, even for just a few minutes, helps to regulate our emotional wellness. Thanks to Catalyst by Wellstar and through a partnership with Spatial technologies, some Wellness Rooms are piloting immersive sound technology which is proven to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Wellstar is the first health system to use such immersive AI-driven audio technology in a clinical setting. Spatial technology may even be utilized in patient-facing settings in the future, based on positive feedback from team members.
The Wellness Rooms were introduced as part of MyCare Rewards, an Employee Wellness benefit geared toward helping team members prioritize their mental, physical and emotional health. In total, the 16 Wellstar Wellness Rooms across our hospitals and health parks were a $1.5 million investment in the well-being of our team members. Thank you to the Wellstar Foundation for helping to make these rooms possible. The Wellness Rooms will continue to be a resource in times of need and moments of stress, providing a place of solitude to our team members who serve Wellstar patients and communities.
