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WA State DOH COVID Vaccine Office
Wellness Committee

Objective

The DOH Covid Vaccine Wellness Committee was originally created to assist the employees of the WA State Covid Vaccine Department in overcoming burnout and ensure employee wellness (mental and physical) was prioritized. 

 

WA DOH leadership faced challenges in employee retention. The Wellness Committee used an equity lens and made decisions that often considered social determinants of health.

Our Approach

the 4 c's method

Outcomes

Short-Term

Weekly meetings

Employee surveys

Live presentations during all staff meetings

Wellthy Place (Teams channel)

Monthly newsletters

Reminders of best practices

Collaboration with the WA DOH (Agency Wide) team

Virtual Coffee Spaces

Supportive leaders who pushed for this program. ​

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Long-Term

Each year, there was an end-of-the-year survey. The challenge was getting people to participate during an unpredictable time. Employees enjoyed the wellness activities, but in some cases, people did not have the time (to participate). Overall, the wellness activities did achieve in having people think and/or talk about their own health, ultimately reprioritizing it.

Testimonial

Even with challenges, the overall approaches were successful. The biggest challenge was when employees came and went. (In our case, a lot of us were hired on as contractors with the CDC Foundation and not permanent employees). This model would have grown if there was more stability with grant-funded roles.  

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