Caring for Our Caregivers

Our caregivers give of themselves every hour of their workday. But who takes care of the caregivers, making sure they stay healthy?

Providence St. Joseph Health offers its employees a wide variety of wellness programs, including exercise, nutrition education, stress management and more. Most are provided through our comprehensive Choose Well employee health programs. It’s our way of saying “thanks” and “we care” to the outstanding health care professionals on our teams. Here’s a round-up of what staff members can expect once they join our employee family:

Fitness Programs – Many of our facilities have fitness centers for employees, including at St. Joseph Health, Humboldt County, where gyms are popular after work and during breaks. You’ll also find plenty of employees staying fit at the beautiful and comprehensive Synergy Medical Fitness center at Queen of the Valley Medical Center. For those who enjoy the camaraderie and guidance of fitness classes, St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton offers an exercise boot camp and yoga classes for its team members. Mission Hospital provides a full schedule of zumba and--like Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital--Pilates and yoga, too. Additionally, at Mission Hospital and our system office, both in Orange County, employees can do individual circuit training provided they have proper orientation on the equipment.

Meditation and Balance – As a health care system dedicated to restoring body, mind and spirit, it’s fitting that we assist employees with finding their mind-body connection. Recently, St. Jude Medical Center partnered with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange to offer a unique class for quieting the mind. The Restoring Balance session helped employees connect and develop ways to energetically and holistically tap into the mind, body, spirit for greater health, vitality and vigor. You’ll also find meditation classes throughout our health system.

Lifestyle Support – For some, a combination of exercise and better nutrition are the right ticket. Covenant Health in Lubbock, Texas, offers an intensive 12-week Reshape Your Lifestyle program for achieving maximum results. A registered dietitian provides nutrition education classes. Also included is a comprehensive fitness camp with trained fitness specialists who help participants establish a regular exercise routine. This program is open to both employees and the public.

Managing it All – At St. Joseph Health, Sonoma County, employees can attend seminars on stress management, managing family relationships and helping aging parents. They also benefit from special rates at the Synergy Health Club in Petaluma, which is open to the public, as is its sister facility, the Synergy Medical Fitness Center in Napa. St. Mary in California's High Desert also provides employees education on a number of wellness and lifestyle concerns.

Lettuce Eat Healthier – At St. Jude Medical Center, employees can order boxes of farmers market produce and pick them up in the cafeteria each week. Both fruits and vegetables are available and all produce is seasonal. There are even a few boxes that have an added surprise in them, courtesy of the employee wellness team. And speaking of eating well, our St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare employees at St. Jude Heritage Medical Group and St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group recently had a “think outside the box” meal preparation challenge, rewarding those who were most creative in preparing healthy meals.

Stretching Body and Mind – St. Joseph Hospital, Orange offers employees a number of yoga, boot camp and circuit training classes, and has open gym hours for caregivers. In addition, their Mission Services team in partnership with their Choose Well Crew offered a well-attended Mindfulness Journey over the past several months, which included a meditative walking tour of significant spiritual locations on the hospital's campus.

Walk it Off – Our St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare employees are encouraged to slip on their tennis shoes and go for a stroll during breaks or sometimes for one-on-one meetings. Taking the stairs always beats the elevator for this team, and there’s even a “beat your boss” walking challenge to see who can rack up the most steps on their Fit Bits.

It’s our goal to make our communities among America’s healthiest. And we believe that the best place to start is with our very own St. Joseph Health family, helping them feel their very best.

This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional's instructions.