CUIMC Hosts Well-Being Fair for Employees

February 13, 2024

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Columbia University Irving Medical Center hosted its first Well-Being Fair on Feb. 7 in Alumni Auditorium and the Schaefer Awards Gallery in the Black Building. The event was designed to encourage heart health and general well-being among faculty and staff and foster community connectedness. Several CUIMC and Columbia offices, including CUIMC HR, the Well-Being Office, the Office of Work/Life, and CUIMC leadership, organized the event.

CUIMC Well-Being Fair

“We are making employee well-being a top priority at CUIMC," says Katrina Armstrong, MD, dean of the faculties of health sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. "We are working hard to create more opportunities like this to help our people find balance, meaning, and connection at work. Seeing so many groups come together to organize the Well-Being Fair is so impressive and encouraging, and we look forward to doing even more in the future.”

The event offered a variety of well-being, mindfulness, and relaxation activities, including acupuncture, standing yoga, aromatherapy, hands-only CPR training, pet therapy, and chair massage. Also offered were free health screenings and information, including heart healthy nutrition tips. Attendees at the event received giveaway bags with CUIMC-branded swag items, a gratitude note signed by university leadership, and healthy snacks.

Neil McClure and Katrina Armstrong hand out welcome bags at the CUIMC Well-Being Fair.
Attendees at the CUIMC Well-Being Fair participated in a variety of wellness activities, including a Zumba class.
Pet therapy gave attendees the chance to interact with trained therapy dogs.
Linda P. Fried, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health, visits the gratitude board at the CUIMC Well-Being Fair.
Hands-only CPR training gave attendees the chance to learn a new skill.
Light refreshments were available at the event including fruit, granola, and yogurt.
Sherley Desulme Willis, Rudi Odeh-Ramadan, and Sony Jean-Michel Thornton show off the heart-shaped CUIMC stress balls available at the event.
Many attendees at the Well-Being Fair took the opportunity to meet the therapy dogs.

“The Well-Being Fair was a successful collaboration between several central offices, allowing us to provide a range of activities that promote wellness both personally and professionally,” says Neil McClure, chief human resources officer at CUIMC. “CUIMC provides world-class health care to our patients, and it was wonderful to have an event that was focused on wellness for those who work on our campus.”

Other offices involved in coordinating the event were CUIMC Events, CUIMC Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and CUIMC POWER (Promoting Overall Well-Being, Engagement, and Resilience) in the Department of Pediatrics. 

Planning committee members: Michelle J. Bombacie, program manager, Department of Pediatrics; Ashley Boyce, manager, DEIB staff engagement, CUIMC HR; Marina Catallozzi, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and population and family health, Department of Pediatrics; Sherley Desulme Willis, senior HR business partner, CUIMC HR; Daniela Elazari, director of well-being, Office of Work/Life; Christina E. Hansen, senior director, CUIMC Events; Nina Heyman, program manager, Office of Well-Being; Clara N. Leon, director, CUIMC Events; Jovana Parlic, wellness coordinator, School of Nursing; Anita Patel, deputy department administrator/COO, Department of Pediatrics; Kamila Pavezzi, well-being specialist, Columbia University; D. Anne Stewart, department administrator/CFO, Department of Emergency Medicine; and Sony Jean-Michel Thornton, senior HR business partner, CUIMC HR.