he Resiliency Center has reimagined its “Wellness Champions” program to the newly minted “Joy in Work” program.
Amidst escalating demands on time, resources, and energy, healthcare professionals are grappling with increasing rates of disillusionment, burnout and turnover. In response to these challenges, the Resiliency Center’s new Joy in Work program emerges as a beacon of change, aiming to foster a culture of flourishing for individuals and teams, across divisions and departments.
Recognizing that the ability to experience joy in work transcends the mere absence of burnout or individual wellness, joy emerges as a systemic attribute, influenced by organizational dynamics and culture. Its presence (or absence) reverberates across staff wellbeing and engagement, patient experience, care quality, safety, and overall organizational performance.
Multiple Ways to Engage with Joy in Work at U Health
Based on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Framework for Improving Joy in Work, the Resiliency Center offers three ways to engage with Joy in Work:
- Joy in Work Foundations Course, an annual all-day intensive training open to all U Health employees with tailored breakout sessions for all work roles.
- Joy in Work Facilitator Training Program, a training and certification program to support “Joy in Work Facilitators” as they implement a Joy in Work team project or initiative over the course of an academic year.
- Joy in Work Team Resilience Consultations, tailored sessions to discuss Better U results, address team-specific needs, improve engagement, and provide practical tools and strategies to foster a positive, thriving work environment.
Together, these programs cultivate a thriving work environment by empowering healthcare professionals with the tools and support needed to foster joy, resilience, and meaningful change across University of Utah Health.
1. Joy in Work Foundations Course
Overview:
Utilizing the evidence-based “Framework for Improving Joy in Work” from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the Joy in Work Foundations Course serves as a day-long retreat and immersive training, equipping participants with essential knowledge, tools, support, and resources to empower Joy in Work within their roles and spheres of influence.
Details:
Who: Open to all U of U Health employees and teams.
When: September 2025 (Date TBD)
Where: TBD
(View the 2024 Foundation Course Presentations Here)
What to Expect:
Learn more about the Joy in Work model, including the Nine Components of Joy in Work. The course includes interactive sessions to apply positive change management within your role, teams and context, with tailored breakout sessions for individuals, managers and team leaders, and organizational leaders.
You will gain practical tools, learn from experienced practitioners, and become familiar with strategies to address resilience, well-being, fulfillment, and flourishing in the workplace. You’ll leave feeling empowered to initiate projects that improve metrics like burnout, engagement, patient safety and turnover rates.
You’ll also have access to resources for ongoing support, and receive an invitation to participate in the Resiliency Center’s “Joy in Work Facilitator Training Program”, an academic-year long training and certification program to learn how to lead a change initiative on your team
Open to all U of U Health employees and teams. Discover practical tools for positive change and connect to what matters to you.
2. Joy in Work Facilitator Training Program
Overview:
The Resiliency Center's Joy in Work Facilitator Training Program aims to support a culture of flourishing at the University of Utah by equipping participants to lead wellbeing initiatives within their teams utilizing the IHI Framework for Improving Joy in Work.
University of Utah Health employees may apply to this this academic-year-long training and certification designed to give participants the knowledge and skills necessary to launch initiatives within their group or team intended to enhance wellbeing, build resilience, and foster meaning and purpose in daily work, while optimizing the work environment and structures.
Joy in Work Facilitators play a pivotal role in driving positive change within their clinics, academic units, offices, or frontline teams. Ideal participants are mid-level faculty or staff from clinical, educational, research, or administrative areas who are committed to collaborating with leadership to improve team wellbeing.
What to Expect:
Once accepted, Joy in Work Facilitators receive training, support and guidance from experts at the Resiliency Center in identifying significant needs within their department or team, initiating and executing impactful projects, and evaluating the impact of the projects. At the end of the program, participants will have the opportunity to share the results of their projects by participating in the Evidence-based Practice and Well-being Poster Fair in spring 2025.
Upon successful completion of the training, facilitators earn a digital badge from University of Utah Professional Education, recognizing their expertise in Quality Improvement, Improvement Science, and Employee Well-being. This badge serves as a valuable credential, demonstrating leadership in promoting healthier, high-performing teams.
2024-2025 Dates and Timeline:
October 15, 2024: Joy in Work Team Improvement Facilitator Application Deadline
October 17, 2024, 12-1pm: Session 1- "Engagement and Preparation"
November 13, 2024, 12-1pm: Session 2- "Planning and Getting Started"
December 18, 2024, 1:30-2:30pm: *Bonus Session*- "How to Conduct "What Matters to You? Conversations"
January 15, 2025, 12-1pm: Session 3- "Implementation and Measurement"
February 12, 2025, 1:30-2:30pm: *Bonus Session*- "Iteration & Interim Measures"
March 19, 2025, 12-1pm: Session 4- "Wrapping-Up and Reporting Out"
April 17, 2025, 10am – 12pm: Evidence-Based Practice Poster Fair
*All coaching sessions will be recorded and distributed to participants who are unable to attend live.
3. Joy in Work Team Resilience Consultations
Available to all University of Utah Health teams, Joy in Work Team Resilience Consultations provide tailored support, guidance, and strategies to enhance team well-being, foster collaboration, and create a positive work environment where individuals and teams can flourish.
Consultations are designed to collaboratively assess and address team-specific needs, including:
- Discussing Better U survey results to identify team strengths and existing assets, then leverage those to address opportunities for improvement.
- Improving team engagement, creating shared purpose, and increasing resilience while reducing burnout, which may include collaboration with or referral to our partners (Organizational Development, Human Resources, Office of Faculty, Workforce Excellence, Value Engineering).
- Identifying resources and strategies to address challenges and improve team dynamics.
- Offering practical tools, such as presentations or workshops focused on key aspects of resilience, teamwork, problem-solving and well-being.
- Supporting teams in aligning their goals with the conditions that foster joy and satisfaction in work.
For more information or to schedule a consultation or presentation, contact the Resiliency Center at resiliencycenter@hsc.utah.edu or 801-213-3403.
Joy in Work Foundations Course: 2024
Sept. 24, 2024 | 8:30am–4:00pm
Course Presentations
- Opening Session
- Welcome Remarks: "Joy in Medicine"— John Inadomi, MD
- "Joy in Work: Professional Fulfillment Amidst the Challenges in Healthcare and Public Health" — Amy Locke, MD, FAAFP
- "Joy in Work: An Introduction to the IHI's Improvement Science Framework"— Jennifer Ellen Mueller, MSPH, CHES
- "Wellness & Resilience: Promoting Personal and Professional Well-being"— Megan Call, PhD, MS
- Breakout Sessions- Individual Cohort
- "Building Personal Resilience: Strategies for Wellness and Balance"— Jamuna Jones, LCSW
- "Enhancing Workplace Dynamics: Teamwork and Camaraderie"— Jake Van Epps, PhD & Jamuna Jones, LCSW
- "What Matters to You?: Discovering Personal Joy by Aligning Daily Tasks With Core Values"— Jake Van Epps, PhD
- "Contributing To Continuous Improvement: Daily Impact and Growth"— Mike Day, BS
- Breakout Sessions- Manager and Team Leader Cohort
- "Camaraderie And Teamwork: Building A Stronger, Connected Workforce"— Jake Van Epps, PhD
- "Participative Management: Creating An Empowered Team Where Everyone Belongs"—Mckell Ashton Gubler, MHA, MSN, RN
- "Elevating Team Engagement Through "What Matters To You?" Conversations"— Jennifer Ellen Mueller, MSPH, CHES
- "Daily Improvement: Harnessing The Power of Continuous Enhancement"— Dane Falkner, MBS, LSSBB
- Breakout Sessions- Senior Leader Cohort
- "Senior Leaders' Role in Joy in Work: Overview, Self-Assessment, and Meaningful Conversations"— Megan Call PhD
- "Facilitating 'What Matters To You?' Conversations as a Senior Leader"— Amy Locke, MD, FAAFP
- "Fostering A Culture of Trust and Continuous Improvement: Part 1"— Amy Locke, MD, FAAFP and Michael Danielson, MS
- "Fostering A Culture of Trust and Continuous Improvement: Part 2"— Michael Danielson, MS
Core Reading
Full text available through Pulse
- Healing the Professional Culture of Medicine
- Blueprint for Organizational Strategies
- Building a Well-being Program
- Beyond Burnout: A Physician Wellness Hierarchy Designed to Prioritize Interventions at the System Level
- Physician-Organization Collaboration Reduces Physician Burnout and Promotes Engagement
- Executive Leadership and Physician Well-being: Nine Organizational Strategies to Promote Engagement and Reduce Burnout
- Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace
Huntsman Mental Health Institute Resources
- Crisis Line: 801-587-3000 (24/7) or call 988
- Warm Line: 801-587-1055 (8am-11pm)
- Safe UT App
General National Crisis Call & Text Lines
- Call 800-273-8255
- Text HOME to 741741
- Call 888-409-0141
- Available Monday-Friday 8am-11pm EST (6am-9am MST)
Wellness Champions: 2023
Sept. 26, 2023 | 8:30am–3:30pm
Course Presentations
- Listen-Sort-Empower-Improve — Megan Call
- System Design
- Self-Care & Professional Well-Being — Megan Call
- Organizational Change
- Personal Well-Being
- Getting From Here to There: Using Quality Improvement Methods to Improve Profession Well-Being
- Moving from Surviving to Thriving in Healthcare – Amy Locke
- Reducing Waste Through Process Efficiency: Potential Roles and Impact
- Peer Support — Jake Van Epps
- Digging Deeper: Getting to Action — Megan Call
Wellness Champions: 2022
Sept. 27, 2022 | 8:30am–3:30pm
Course Agenda and Presentations
- Click here to view the agenda.
- Click here to view the presentation.
2021 Program Overview
Wellness Champions Program Description
Program Agenda and Presentations
Oct. 5, 2021 – Fall Wellness Champions Foundations Course Agenda
- Thriving in Health Care – Amy Locke
- Perosnal Well-being and Remembering We're Human – Trinh Mai
- Cultivating a Culture of Wellness – Jake Van Epps
- Moving Forward: Recognize, Recover, Rebuild – Megan Call
- Learning from Experience: Four U Health Projects – Amy Locke, Michael Danielson, Jake Van Epps, Jo Rolls, Frances Johnson, Sydney Ryan
2020 Program Overview
Wellness Champions Program Description
Program Agendas & Slides
October 27, 2020 - Fall Wellness Champions Retreat Agenda
- Welcome & Program Overview—Wayne Imbrescia and Amy Locke
- Psychological First Aid For Teams—Megan Call, Jean Whitlock and Trinh Mai
- Recognizing Those At Risk—Rob Davies
- Breakout + Barriers and Moving Forward—Alan Davis
February 9, 2021 - Spring Wellness Champions Retreat Agenda
Support
- Resiliency Center – U of U Health faculty, staff and trainees can visit us on Pulse.
- Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- COVID-19 Well-being Resources – a comprehensive list of resources for individuals and teams.
- Accelerate has online lessons and well-being stories available 24/7
Mindfulness educators Trinh Mai, Jean Whitlock, and Rob Davies guide us through a quick and simple exercise for reducing burnout and increasing well-being by remembering positive experiences and reflection.
University of Utah Health is committed to tackling a major problem in health care today: burnout. Last year, 40 teams spread across an enormous health system took on the challenge. We sat down with family physician and co-director of the Resiliency Center Amy Locke to learn about what works in improving faculty and staff wellness.
Family physician and Resiliency Center co-director Amy Locke draws from personal experience and evidence-based research that supports two approaches for making your practice more efficient.