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Wellness

Professional Development and Wellness are cornerstones of the MercyOne GME department. Our full-time Professional Development Coordinator,  Laura Jackman, serves as an advocate and resource. In addition to providing specific wellness events (e.g., canoeing together, dog therapy, etc.), support is provided to residents and fellows throughout the year. Offerings include monthly professional support meetings during protected time, job search preparation, research and QI project assistance, remediation, and mentorship. 



Contact Laura Jackman at laura.jackman@mercyoneiowa.org

Mental Health Resources

Vital Work Life 

Employee Assistance Program - Free and confidential support to individual and family members provided 24/7/365. 

Call 800-383-1908 or visit https://www.vitalworklife.com/home for more information. 

***Login Instructions*** On the home page go to Member Login. Enter username: mercyiowa and password: provider this will lead you to a page with multiple resources for you and your family. 

Download the Vital Work Life app: It’s free and easy to use.

Resources Provided:


- Unlimited phone consultation


- Face-to-face counseling sessions


- Legal services


- Financial consulting


- Wellness information


- Worklife concierge 

Emergency Numbers: 

9-1-1

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 

9-8-8

Local Private Practice: 

Mosaic Family Counseling Center - Mosaic provides therapy services including marriage, parenting, behavior health intervention services, grief, work, substance abuse, and stress management. Wellmark-Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance is accepted here. 

Phone: 515-724-8920

Locations: 

Des Moines

5005 Douglas Ave, Suite 101

West Des Moines

5550 Wild Rose Lane, Suite 400

Depression: 

Depression is a common mental disorder, causes of which could be genetic, biological, environmental and psychological. Risk factors for depression include any family history of depression, major life changes, and stress.


Signs and Symptoms of Depression

  • Feeling persistently sad or empty 

  • Feeling hopeless, worthless, or helpless

  • Irritability 

  • Loss of interest

  • Low energy 

  • Restless

  • Appetite and weight fluctuation

  • Thoughts of death or suicide 

Treatments for Depression

Depression is treatable. Some common treatments include talk therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT) and  problem solving therapy. There are medications that can help with treating depression. Some people choose to utilize both medication and talk therapy to help treat their depression. Other ways to help treat depression include: 

  • Exercises and being active

  • Try to be social and not become isolated

  • Educate yourself about depression

  • Get outside 

  • Find a trusted friend or family member to talk with

For more information on depression visit: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml 

Burnout: 

Signs and symptoms of burnout include: 

  • Being cynical at work

  • Irritability 

  • Lacking energy

  • Trouble concentrating

Measuring Burnout

The most common measurement of burnout is the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). You can find a MBI survey on the Vital Worklife app. From the app’s homepage click on assessments in the upper left-hand corner. Then click on the Maslach Burnout Inventory part 1, 2, and 3. The results are confidential and for your use only.

Mindfulness and Meditation: 

Mindfulness and meditation practices have been shown to reduce stress, boost working memory, improve focus, lower emotional reactivity, improve cognitive flexibility and create healthier relationships. If you’re interested in learning more, or are looking for a structured or guided way to practice mindfulness and meditation check out these apps and websites.




https://chopra.com/articles/guided-meditations


https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/default.cfm


https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/04/turn-down-the-volume/ 

Apps for meditation and mindfulness


Headspace


Calm

Testing:

Mental Health America


Burnout self-test


Vital Work Life

Physcial Health Resources

Local Gyms

MercyOne Employee Gym - Level A in the main Hospital with an employee gym located at MercyOne West Lakes

MercyOne Health & Fitness Center

12493 University Ave Clive, IA 50325

PH: 515-226-9622

Discounts offered to MercyOne Employees

Wellmark YMCA 

501 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA 50309

PH: 515-282-9622

Yoga 

Power Life Yoga 

Adamantine

Shakti Yoga Des Moines

Trails - Waling, Hiking, Biking

Bill Riley Trail

Center Trail at Greenwood and Water Works Park (dirt trail) 

High Trestle Trail 

Gray’s Lake Park

Jester Park

Camping 

Saylorville Lake 

5600 78th St Johnston, IA

Ledges State Park


1515 P Ave Madrid, IA 50165  

Sleep 

Maximize your naps


Mayo Clinic’s six strategies for better sleep

Apps and website for your fitness

For runners, walkers, bikers

  • MapMyFitness- free and paid subscriptions

  • Charity Miles- Free. (Donates money to a charity of your choice for every mile you run.)

  • Strava- free and paid subscriptions. Lets you compete with others in the Strava community.

  • Virgin Pulse – this is the app that we use for the wellness program. Downloading this can help you earn your wellness dollars.

For workout guides and tracking

  • Nike Training Club- Free

  • Fitbit Coach- free and paid subscriptions

  • 7 minute workout (by Wahoo fitness)- free with in app purchases

Additional Wellness Resources 

https://health.gov/paguidelines


catholichealth.net

Financial Health Resources

Websites

Credit Karma - Offers free credit reports and monitoring. 

Mint - Has free personal financial tools so you can create budgets, alerts, and get free credit scores.


Fidelity - Offers both online and in-person services for financial advising. 

Investing and Loans

IRA vs. Roth IRA


Student Loans

The AMA has good information and links to help better understand your loans, and tips on paying them back. The AMA website explores multiple aspects of student loans and residency expenses. 

Nutritional Health Resources

Meal Prep

Preparing multiple meals for the week ahead is a good way to ensure you are eating healthy and getting your body the nutrition it needs to keep up with your schedule. Too busy to prep? Let someone do it for you. Below are a few local businesses that prepare meals for you. You can buy one meal to-go, or get a weekly meal service. 

Git Fit Grill 

Fresh Fit Meals

Hy-Vee - Multiple Locations 

Hy-Vee offers many services to help you achieve your nutrition and health goals. 

  • Health Screenings

  • Shopping Tours

  • BEGIN - A Healthy lifestyle and weight loss program

  • Cooking classes, wellness workshops, and kids’ events. 

Spiritual Resources

MercyOne Pastoral Care

Located on the main floor, south of the main lobby. 515-247-3238

Places of worship nearby 

Saint Augustins Church – 3.5 miles


545 42nd st,, Des Moines, IA 50312

Capitol Hill Lutheran Church – 1.6 miles


511 Des Moines st, Des Moines, IA 50309

Wakonda Christian Church – 4.7 miles


398 Fleur Dr, Des Moines, IA 50312

Temple B’nai Jeshurun – 4.2 miles


5101 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312

Islamic Center of Des Moines – 5.8 miles


6201 Franklin Ave, Des Moines, IA 50322

*If you do not see a place that is representative of your faith, please contact your Professional Development Coordinator.

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