Burnout is more prevalent among health care and health sciences workers, professionals, and trainees than among the general U.S. population, and to help tackle the growing issue Kaylan A. Baban, MD, MPH, has assumed the role of chief wellness officer for the George Washington University (GW) clinical enterprise.
As chief wellness officer, Baban will lead the GWell Center for Healthcare Professionals, which aims to promote a broad concept of health and wellness for all members of the GW medical enterprise. Created on the basis of feedback from a wellness task force, the center’s mission is to promote a culture of wellness as the foundation of professional excellence, support skills development for personal and professional wellness, and provide leadership to identify and minimize structural stressors.
“There is a need nationally for initiatives that support those working in health care in all capacities, whether administration, building services, or direct patient care,” said Baban, who is also the director of the Lifestyle Medicine Program at the GW Medical Faculty Associates and assistant professor of medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “There is recognition from leadership that this is a national challenge, and a proactive culture of wellness is necessary to be the best institution that we can be, the best place for us to work, and the best place to receive your health care.”
