CUIMC Well-Being Survey: Results & Next Steps

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last several months, teams at CUIMC have worked diligently to analyze and understand the data gathered from the CUIMC Well-Being Survey and to develop plans for how best to address the challenges and opportunities that have been identified. Led by Chief Well-Being Officer Lou Baptista and the Well-Being Team, these efforts have focused on three main areas:

• Developing an outstanding, multidisciplinary team for the Well-Being Office
• Providing tailored survey reports to each department and school
• Initiating first steps toward our long-term goal of creating a thriving and resilient work community that prioritizes excellence and well-being

The team’s efforts have been guided by a conceptual framework developed by the U.S. Surgeon General and embrace the need for multi-level change at the system, departmental, and local levels, a key recommendation of every national advisory group in this area.

I am pleased that the Well-Being Team is now sharing with you a report on the survey results and next steps. They have selected some key metrics from the survey that will guide our priorities and be followed over time to evaluate our impact. While the plans for improving well-being are dynamic and constantly being improved, I am particularly delighted to see the concrete steps that are underway and the important role that the well-being leads in each department will play in advancing those plans.

As the survey results show, we are fortunate to do meaningful and important work. In fact, I cannot imagine more important work than what is done at CUIMC: Caring for those in need, creating new knowledge to reduce suffering, and training health professionals, all with a deep commitment to improving the health of the communities we serve. That work is also hard. I am grateful to the Well-Being Team for its commitment to making this the best possible place to take on this important work and I look forward to supporting the next steps.

All my best,

Katrina Armstrong, MD
Dean of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences, Columbia University