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Well-being matters at Penn State Health
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center offers a number of resources designed to support resident and fellow well-being.
Jump to specific resources
Crisis | Too tired to drive | Mental health | Penn State Health | GME | Physical | Social | Occupational | Emotional | Other
For life-threatening emergencies
- On campus: Call 717-531-8888 (or ext. 8888).
- Off campus: Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Penn State Crisis Line
- Call 877-229-6400.
- Text LIONS to 741-741.
988 Suicide and Crisis Line
- Call or text 988
Dauphin County Crisis Intervention
- Call 717-232-7511.
The Office of Graduate Medical Education will reimburse residents who are unable to safely drive home due to sleep deprivation for Uber, Lyft, etc., with a valid receipt.
Both rides will be reimbursed – home and back to the hospital or practice site. See reimbursement instructions here.
For strategic napping, non-assigned call rooms are located in the BMR building, Room 1827. Please contact the Office of Graduate Medical Education at 717-531-5168 for the access code.
Mental health support for residents and fellows
For additional mental health resources, call the Office of Graduate Medical Education Office at 717-531-0003, ext. 285868.
Current residents and fellows can also access resources on the home page of New Innovations when logged in.
Office for Professional Mental Health
The Office for Professional Mental Health offers direct clinical care to all students, trainees and faculty, referring cases to local providers as necessary.
The office promotes personal health, connectivity and peer support, emphasizes work-life integration and more. The director also provides retreats and well-being sessions to the Office of Graduate Medical Education as a whole, as well as to individual programs and departments. Throughout the first few months of training, the Office of Professional Mental Health will provide an introduction during each residency or fellowship program’s orientation and/or didactics.
Online: Office for Professional Mental Health
SupportLinc Employee Assistance
Employee Assistance Program is available with emotional wellbeing and work-life balance resources to keep you at your best.
All requests for information or assistance are free of charge and completely confidential. You can contact SupportLinc 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 888-881-5462, visit www.supportlinc.com, group code psh, or email support@curalinc.com. Access support whenever needed, wherever is most convenient for you.
SupportLinc Provides:
- In-the-moment & short-term counseling
- Convenience resources
- Financial expertise
- Legal consultation
- Text therapy
- Virtual support connect
Schwartz Center Rounds
Schwartz Center Rounds are an open forum for folks (providers, residents/fellows, staff and students) to discuss things they’re struggling with related to patient care.
First Tuesday of the month from noon to 1 p.m. in the Krapf Chapel inside the Main Entrance to the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Contact Kathlene Garrett (kgarrett2@pennstatehealth.psu.edu) with any questions.
BeWell Employee Well-Being
PRO Wellness facilitates the BeWell initiative to compliment well-being efforts specifically for Penn State Health employees.
Penn State Health Employee Navigator
Employees of Penn State Health and their immediate family members can count on one team to help navigate their well-being and healthcare needs.
Call 1-833-PSH-TEAM (833-774-8326), Option 2, to reach a patient access coordinator or send an email.
MySolutions
mySolutions provides Penn State Health employees with benefits information; upcoming well-being events; employee well-being programs such as Weight Watchers at Work and the Fit, Trim and Slim program; Bright Horizons family backup care; past well-being event recordings; and more.
Log in to mySolutions
(Search: Well-being)
Campus well-being events
Learn more about other on-campus well-being opportunities and see a full calendar of events on the campus well-being page.
COVID-19
Find Penn State Health resources related to COVID-19 on the Infonet (Penn State Health ePass login required).COVID-19 Resources
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The Graduate Medical Education Office at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is committed to the well-building of all residents, fellows, program directors and GME coordinators. These activities and initiatives in GME well-being are based on common themes at program director, program coordinator and GME program retreats, as well as from the ACGME Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Well-being Pathway to Excellence goals of:
- Promoting the well-being of the clinical care team
- Workload and work/life balance
- Fatigue
- Burnout
- Support of those at risk of or demonstrating self-harm
The GME office meets with residents and fellows routinely to gather their input on what they will benefit from. Those interested in contributing and serving as a GME Well-Being Champion should email Lauren Talhelm in the GME office at ltalhelm@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
GME-wide well-being initiatives
- Office for Professional Mental Health “Love Yourself” Event
- Mental Health Band-Aid, QPR Gatekeeper training and more offered by the Office of Professional Mental Health
- Email updates from the Office for Professional Mental Health, including information on Zoom office hours, various well-being webinars and free resources such as virtual exercise, yoga, meditation and mindfulness classes
- Snack delivery by the DIO (Designated Institutional Official) to GME programs
- Doughnuts with the DIO
- Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows
- Quarterly GME personal finance lectures
- GME sponsored competitions: Pumpkin Decorating, Gingerbread Houses and Laughter Contest
- GME WE ARE Thankful and other drop-in events
- 30 Days of Activity well-being challenge
- GME water bottles provided to new trainees
- Awareness of hydration stations throughout the campus
- Inter-residency/fellowship program gatherings
- Involvement of residents and fellows on hospital-wide leadership committees
- Participating in Penn State Health well-being initiatives for all employees, including:
- Heart Rhythm Meditation
- Mindfulness Practice Community
- Weekly WeCARE Support Sessions sponsored by the Doctors Kienle Center for Humanistic Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
- Center Stage Musical Performances
- BeWell Lunch & Learns
- BeWell Hospital-wide Well-being Challenges
- Annual Nurses and Hospitals Week Celebration
About physical health
Part of overall health includes regular physical activity, a healthy diet and sufficient sleep.
With the time pressures of work and home life, it is easy for these areas to be neglected, often with the thought that the time spent sleeping, cooking something healthy or going for a walk could be better spent elsewhere.
However, without these physical elements of well-being, it becomes harder to perform at a high level in the long run.
It is important to recognize that physical activity and maintaining a healthy diet do improve general well-being, which affects overall mental health.
Band Together class
Band Together is a fun and free strength-training program using resistance bands. This class is open to all ages and all different fitness levels.
Please join the Band Together peer-led class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Zoom information can be found on the internal Infonet.
To receive additional information, email Brenda Thomas at bthomas2@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
Bike share
SAMBA bike trails
The Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association (SAMBA) partnered with Penn State to develop 10 miles of new trails around Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center with options for bike-riders of all skill levels.
Trails can be accessed traffic-free from the surrounding communities using the Eshenour Memorial bike path.
The trail system is divided into two distinct areas, the east side and the west side. The terrain is generally rocky and rugged, and while the east side offers more open, flowing trails, the west side is more technical and challenging.
Active & Fit Direct
Active & Fit Direct is an offering of Blue Cross’ Blue365 Deals available to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center employees, including residents and fellows.
Fitness Your Way helps clients meet physical and emotional goals within their budget and on their own time by offering access to nearly 10,000 different fitness locations for $29 a month.
Details: Visit Blue365 Deals
University Fitness Center
The University Fitness Center is located on the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center campus.
Residents and fellows are offered a discount but must show their badges at the front desk and notify staff of their status.
Several specialty classes at the Fitness Center are available to non-members.
- About physical health
- Band Together class
- Bike share
- SAMBA bike trails
- Active & Fit Direct
- University Fitness Center
Part of overall health includes regular physical activity, a healthy diet and sufficient sleep.
With the time pressures of work and home life, it is easy for these areas to be neglected, often with the thought that the time spent sleeping, cooking something healthy or going for a walk could be better spent elsewhere.
However, without these physical elements of well-being, it becomes harder to perform at a high level in the long run.
It is important to recognize that physical activity and maintaining a healthy diet do improve general well-being, which affects overall mental health.
Band Together is a fun and free strength-training program using resistance bands. This class is open to all ages and all different fitness levels.
Please join the Band Together peer-led class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Zoom information can be found on the internal Infonet.
To receive additional information, email Brenda Thomas at bthomas2@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
The Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association (SAMBA) partnered with Penn State to develop 10 miles of new trails around Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center with options for bike-riders of all skill levels.
Trails can be accessed traffic-free from the surrounding communities using the Eshenour Memorial bike path.
The trail system is divided into two distinct areas, the east side and the west side. The terrain is generally rocky and rugged, and while the east side offers more open, flowing trails, the west side is more technical and challenging.
Active & Fit Direct is an offering of Blue Cross’ Blue365 Deals available to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center employees, including residents and fellows.
Fitness Your Way helps clients meet physical and emotional goals within their budget and on their own time by offering access to nearly 10,000 different fitness locations for $29 a month.
Details: Visit Blue365 Deals
The University Fitness Center is located on the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center campus.
Residents and fellows are offered a discount but must show their badges at the front desk and notify staff of their status.
Several specialty classes at the Fitness Center are available to non-members.
Finding personal satisfaction and enrichment from work is a key to well-being. Similarly, a cornerstone of being a fulfilled person is intellectual growth, recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills.
PAWS UP
PAWS UP! is an employee recognition program that celebrates the strength of the people of Penn State Health. The program includes service awards, employee of the month/year, birthday and other eGreetings and special “Paws Up” nominations and on-the-spot recognition cards from managers.
Points earned can be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, travel packages, charity donations and event tickets from Hershey Entertainment.
Professional development
The Learning and Leadership Development team offers on-site courses for individuals and departments. Some courses, like the Grow Academy, can be found in Compass through the Infonet (Penn State Access ID login required). For details, call Human Resources at 717-531-8440.
Additional professional development programs offered to both Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine employees can be found on the Faculty and Staff website.
Physician Writers Group
The Physician Writers Group is a workshop for clinicians who are interested in creative writing for publication in professional medical journals. The group meets during the fall and/or spring semesters.
Humanities professor Dr. Kimberly Myers, who holds a doctorate in literature, hosts the group. Email her at kmyers2@pennstatehealth.psu.edu for details.
Harrell Health Sciences Library
Harrell Health Sciences Library offers many services to residents and fellows, including but not limited to literature searching, systematic review, EndNote citation management, 3D printing services, e-learning and digital media development, virtual reality, a Technology Sandbox, the One-Button Studio and group study rooms. Contact information for each departmental liaison can be found on the library’s website.
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It is important to be able to cope effectively with life and to create satisfying relationships, in order to achieve the balance necessary to be mentally healthy and well. Emotional well-being involves being aware of and accepting feelings; adjusting to change, both good and bad; coping with stress; and enjoying life despite occasional disappointments and frustrations.
Meanwhile, spiritual well-being involves developing a sense of purpose and meaning in life. It is a personal journey and could involve prayer, meditation, affirmations or specific spiritual practices that are meaningful. Using values, beliefs and principles to help ground decisions and actions can lead to balance and overall well-being.
In addition to the mental health resources listed above, Penn State Health offers:
Al-Anon at Work
The Al-Anon at Work support group helps to bring hope and strength to families and friends of problem drinkers. Participants share the experiences, strength and hope through fellowship to solve their common problems. Those whose lives have been touched by addiction also find Al-Anon helpful. New members are always welcome.
Meetings: Noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays via Zoom see the Infonet calendar for details (Penn State Health ePass login required)
Details: Call Robin at 717-531-7560 or Paula at 717-531-2908
Pastoral Services
Resources through Pastoral Services are also available to employees. The Interfaith Chapel, near the south entrance of Hershey Medical Center, is open at any time for prayer or meditation. There is a Catholic mass at noon every Tuesday and Jumu’ah prayer at 1:30 p.m. every Friday.
Details: Call Pastoral Services Staff Hotline at 717-531-3600
Staff also have the option to send a text, through Tiger Connect, for non-urgent concerns. Employees can sign in to their Tiger Connect account, find HMC Staff Support Hotline in the directory and type a message.
Resiliency Through Art
The Doctors Kienle Center for Humanistic Medicine hosts Resiliency Through Art workshops throughout the year. All are welcome; no artistic talent is needed.
Explore their website for current offerings, including many virtual performances. If you would like to request an Art for Well-being Workshop or Art Kits for your program, please reach out to Lauren Talhelm at ltalhelm@pennstatehealth.psu.edu in the GME Office.
Website: https://sites.psu.edu/centerstage/
Details: Email Kerry Royer at kroyer@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
Meditation break
Heart Rhythm Meditation is a simple way to help reduce stress and enhance resilience. Everyone can meditate – no prior experience required.
Meetings: Wednesdays noon to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom Audio
Details: Email Lisa Hanlon Wilhelm at lwilhelm@pennstatehealth.psu.edu or see the Infonet calendar for details (Penn State Health ePass login required)
Mindfulness practice community
Details: Email Timothy Riley, MD, at triley1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu or mindfulness@pennstatehealth.psu.edu for the Zoom link and to receive weekly reminders.
University Fitness Center specialty classes
University Fitness Center offers specialty classes throughout the year open to both members and non-members. Many focus on mindfulness disciplines. Sessions include topics such as Kundalini Yoga, Kendo, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Tactical Hapkido and Systema, Tai Chi and QiGong, and Yoga for Complete Health.
Details: See the fitness center website
Environmental Well-being
Good health is promoted by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well-being.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to environmental well-being. Each person has to find what works best for themselves.
A number of features of the institution can help promote environmental well-being, including:
- Private rooms are available on campus for nursing mothers. Lactation services, human resources or the GME office can provide the most up-to-date information on their locations.
- Healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner options are available in the cafeteria. Each resident receives a set amount of money, based on program, to be used at all dining facilities on campus.
- The organization has walking meeting capabilities.
- There are several hydration stations around campus, with additional ones to come.
Financial Well-being
Satisfaction with current and future financial situations is a part of overall well-being and balance.
Financial stresses can be significant, and having a plan for and managing them is the best way to promote well-being in this area.
A number of financial resources are available, including:
- One-on-one counseling with on-site Empower Retirement representatives to discuss future financial planning can be arranged by calling 717-531-1878.
- SupportLinc. offers online financial resources to help with budgeting, planning and saving.
- The GME office offers quarterly GME personal finance lectures.
- A discount program through Abenity is applicable to services such as cell phones, travel, movie tickets, theme parks, automobile services and more.
Other General Well-being Resources
ACGME
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) offers several tools and resources on topics such as identifying and addressing burnout; promoting well-being; assessing and addressing emotional and psychological distress, depression and suicide; improving the learning and working environment; and coping with tragedy.
Details: See the ACGME website
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers online resources around health care professional burnout, depression and suicide prevention.
Details: See the AFSP website
Live the Life You Want
The “Live the Life You Want” website, created by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC, highlights living and working in Harrisburg and central Pennsylvania. The website includes information on cost of living, education, cultural initiatives, things to do, transportation and more. Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a partner of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC.
Details: See the website
Mental Health America
Mental Health America offers online screening tools for various concerns.
Details: Take online screenings for depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, addiction, psychosis or eating disorders
TED talks
Many inspiring TED talks can be found on the following playlists
Good health is promoted by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well-being.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to environmental well-being. Each person has to find what works best for themselves.
A number of features of the institution can help promote environmental well-being, including:
- Private rooms are available on campus for nursing mothers. Lactation services, human resources or the GME office can provide the most up-to-date information on their locations.
- Healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner options are available in the cafeteria. Each resident receives a set amount of money, based on program, to be used at all dining facilities on campus.
- The organization has walking meeting capabilities.
- There are several hydration stations around campus, with additional ones to come.
Satisfaction with current and future financial situations is a part of overall well-being and balance.
Financial stresses can be significant, and having a plan for and managing them is the best way to promote well-being in this area.
A number of financial resources are available, including:
- One-on-one counseling with on-site Empower Retirement representatives to discuss future financial planning can be arranged by calling 717-531-1878.
- SupportLinc. offers online financial resources to help with budgeting, planning and saving.
- The GME office offers quarterly GME personal finance lectures.
- A discount program through Abenity is applicable to services such as cell phones, travel, movie tickets, theme parks, automobile services and more.
ACGME
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) offers several tools and resources on topics such as identifying and addressing burnout; promoting well-being; assessing and addressing emotional and psychological distress, depression and suicide; improving the learning and working environment; and coping with tragedy.
Details: See the ACGME website
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers online resources around health care professional burnout, depression and suicide prevention.
Details: See the AFSP website
Live the Life You Want
The “Live the Life You Want” website, created by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC, highlights living and working in Harrisburg and central Pennsylvania. The website includes information on cost of living, education, cultural initiatives, things to do, transportation and more. Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a partner of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC.
Details: See the website
Mental Health America
Mental Health America offers online screening tools for various concerns.
Details: Take online screenings for depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, addiction, psychosis or eating disorders
TED talks
Many inspiring TED talks can be found on the following playlists
Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
To have social happiness, it is vital to develop a sense of connection and belonging and to have a well-developed support system. There are various events and fundraisers held on campus that bring together employees from all departments.
Volunteering
Many volunteer opportunities are available in Hershey and the surrounding communities. One very close opportunity is the Ronald McDonald House, where many patients’ families stay.
Affinity groups
Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine have multiple affinity groups faculty and staff can join, including:
Learn more about these affinity groups.
Commission for Women
Penn State Commission for Women seeks to promote women’s initiatives in the areas of equity, maternity and child/elder care concerns, mentoring, professional development and recognition, strengthening networking and social connections and workplace safety.
All employees and students at Hershey Medical Center and the College of Medicine, regardless of gender, are welcome to join and/or attend events.
Learn more about the Commission for Women.
Partners in Medicine
Partners in Medicine is a support and social group for spouses of medical students, residents, fellows and new attending physicians at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Learn more about Partners in Medicine.
Area resources
Residents and fellows who want to plan their own social events can check out the Visit Hershey & Harrisburg website for info on area restaurants, shopping, outdoor and indoor activities and an extensive calendar of events.