Skip to main content
Division of General Internal Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine
  1. Division of General Internal Medicine
  2. For Faculty & Staff
  3. Wellness Committee

Wellness Committee

Artri Balu joseph diaz

Arthi Balu, M.D.
Co-Chair, Wellness Committee
Associate Clinical Professor

 Joseph Diaz, M.D.
Co-Chair, Wellness Committee
Assistant Clinical Professor

The Wellness Committee focuses on ensuring that GIM clinicians receive the support they need to maintain their overall wellbeing by hosting events that encourage social interaction among colleagues in addition to sponsoring wellness education classes and seminars.  Previous events include:

  • Collage Workshop – Attendees created artful collages as a therapeutic means.two women working on table
  • Lunch and Learn – A presentation on integrating health and nutrition with catered lunch.
  • Holiday Party – Clinicians and their spouses gathered for dinner to welcome the New Year.
  • Doctors Day – Clinicians received a token of appreciation for their commitment to patient care.
  • Happy Hour – A gathering to welcome newly hired GIM clinicians.
  • Taco Party – A weekend outdoors event held at an area beach that also welcomed the attendance of family members.  Late lunch/early dinner and games provided.
  • Breakfast – A small breakfast was delivered at both clinic sites for staff and clinicians to mark the end of the academic year.DINNER-PARTY3.png
  • Dinner – An early fall event to welcome everyone back from summer activities and ring in the new academic year.
  • Monthly Wellness Hikes – A collaboration with Family Medicine.

In addition to the above events, the committee has offered Balint-Style discussion sessions where physicians played various roles in small groups as a clinician, a patient, or an observer to give them different perspectives on the clinician/patient relationship.

The committee conducts intermittent surveys to determine wellness burnout with respect to clinician safety, clinical inefficiency, and work appreciation and connection.  Results of the surveys are shared via regular reports to GIM members.  Ongoing meetings with new clinicians are held to get increasing feedback on improving the onboarding process.  Finally, the committee was integral in encouraging all clinicians to participate in behavioral health screening through the Healer Education Assessment and Referral (HEAR) Program.

The Wellness Committee has made such a positive impact within GIM that the Department of Medicine (DOM) asked the committee to serve as a model for other divisions within DOM.  As part of this new endeavor, the Wellness Co-Chairs were invited to discuss their work at a department-wide meeting and have been designated as resources to those who would like to integrate wellness in their division.