Category: Well-Being

Financial literacy series

A series of monthly posts designed to break down financial topics into bite-sized pieces

Healthy planet, healthy people

Improve your well-being by learning and practicing eco-friendly activities that reduce your ecological footprint and conserve natural resources.

Resources to Support Employee Transitions

Set yourself up for success by utilizing the resources in place through Human Resources to best support yourself, whether as a new employee, if you’re transitioning into a new role or planning to retire soon. 

Free Tree Seedlings

The Human Resource Well-Being Team is partnering with Sustainability and WashU Arboretum to hand out oak, pecan, and wahoo seedlings. You can request up to 3 seedlings. Pick up at Schnuck Pavilion on March 30 from 1:30pm to 4:00pm.

Wellness Tip | Screen time for kids

Parents might worry about how many hours their kids spend on their tablets, smartphones, or TV, but research has shown that the amount of time a kid spends on their screen may be less important than how dependent the child is on the screen. How do you know if your child is addicted to their […]

Support for International Disasters

WashU employees who been impacted by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have resources available to them and eligible family members.

Let’s Celebrate Heart Health Month

In honor of National Heart Month, WashU’s employee Well-being Team is highlighting important steps and resources to help you take care of your heart. Eating healthier, exercising more and getting regular check-ups are key steps toward a healthy heart. In addition, reducing stress and considering our emotional connection to ourselves play a vital role in […]

Wellness Champion Fund Projects

WashU Wellness Champions are eligible to apply for start-up funds for projects that promote innovative, personalized solutions to their unique work group. HR’s Well-being team offers financial support to Wellness Champions who are in good standing and interested in start-up funds to address the wellness needs of their workgroup. Read about the Champion Fund Projects […]

How to Make Holidays Kid-Friendly

Help kids rise to the occasion, and don’t aim too high. Caroline Miller, Child Mind Institute Let’s acknowledge that the holidays can be stressful for many people for varying reasons, and this includes parents and children. Why are the holidays so fraught? Because expectations are heightened, and holidays can feel like a test of how […]

Improving Your Credit Score

A series of financial security tips Your FICO score is a credit scoring technique used to evaluate applicants for almost any type of loan. Each of the three major credit-reporting agencies evaluates these factors and determines your credit score; therefore, you may have three different scores. FICO scores range from 300 to 850, with a […]

Establishing Credit

A series of financial security tips One pillar of financial society is built on the idea of credit: student loans, credit cards, home mortgages, and other kinds of financing arrangements that allow us to spend more than we may have readily available in cash. Understanding how to establish and maintain a healthy line of credit […]

Credit Security Freeze

a series of financial security tips With millions of identity theft cases reported each year, a security freeze can be a useful measure in preventing identity theft. While not for every consumer, the security freeze is considered the strongest measure one can take in protecting a credit file. How it Works A security freeze works […]

Preventing Credit Card & Identity Theft

A series of financial security tips Whether you have misplaced a credit card or had a purse or wallet stolen, the loss of personal identification and financial information can be a major concern. Knowing the right precautions to take can help safeguard your financial freedom and prevent devastating losses to your cash reserves and credit […]

Increase Your Energy with Morning Movement

A guide to energizing your fitness routine, by Meghann Feely, associate director of fitness & operations at sumers recreation center While it can be hard to find the time (or motivation) for movement, a good goal is to fit in at least 30 minutes of moderate activity each day, like brisk walking or cycling. More […]

Find nourishment this fall

A guide to nutritious eating, by MyWay to Health Wellness Consultant Maggie Danforth, RD, LD Many factors contribute to our health and how we feel, yet we often overlook how the food we eat impacts our daily lives. Just as we wouldn’t expect our cars to run on vegetable oil or on empty, we can’t […]

Support for Traumatic Events

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Resources for faculty and staff who have been affected by the Oct. 24 shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis.

WashU’s Annual Health Screenings: Get to Know Your Numbers

The value of annual biometric screenings and how Wellness Champions contribute to the health of the WashU community Annual health screenings are an essential building block for any well-being goal. By “knowing our numbers”, we can detect disease early, establish a baseline for our health, and make informed health decisions. Seeing your medical provider for […]

Seize the Summertime

Enjoy the outdoors while you stay active with the 2022 Summertime activity challenge!

Wellness Connection Staff Spotlight | Reshaunda Thornton, MS, RD, LD, CSSD

As part of a new segment for the Wellness Champion newsletter, each month we will highlight a Wellness Connection team member. This month will feature Registered Dietitian and Wellness Consultant, Reshaunda Thornton. Tell us a little about yourself. As a dietitian, nutrition has been my passion, but my first love was science. Before focusing on […]

Wellness Champion Spotlight | Jean Fuchs in A&S Biology

  Jean FuchsContract & Grants CoordinatorArts & Sciences | Biology Jean Fuchs has been an active and supportive Champion ever since she joined the Wellness Champion network in January of 2020. I’ve been particularly impressed by her efforts as Team Captain throughout the various challenges, as she promotes an inclusive and encouraging environment for her […]

Resources for Infant Formula Shortage

UnitedHealthcare maternity nurses and advocates are available to WashU health plan members who are concerned about the current nationwide infant formula shortage.

Wellness Connection Staff Spotlight | Lauren Buschhorn, MS, CHES®

As part of a new segment for the Wellness Champion newsletter, each month we will highlight a Wellness Connection team member. This month will feature Wellness Coordinator Lauren Buschhorn. Tell us a little about yourself. Hello! I have served as Wellness Coordinator for four years at Washington University. In my role, I oversee the annual […]

Wellness Connection Team Member Spotlight | Emily Page, MS

As part of a new segment for the Wellness Champion newsletter, each month we will highlight a Wellness Connection team member. To kick us off, we’ll spotlight Emily Page, MS, our fearless leader and the Sr. Manager for Wellness & Benefits Projects. Tell us a little about yourself. What drew you to this line of […]

Wellness Champion Spotlight | Spring into Motion Team Captains

I’d like to recognize all of the Wellness Champions who rallied their teammates to join the new spring wellness challenge, Spring into Motion. Wellness Champions are provided with a toolkit for team captains that equips them with knowledge about the challenge and helps them think about how to encourage their coworkers to participate. They use […]

How to Talk with Children About War

Resources and guidance for talking to your children about violence and war as well as support options available to you and your family.

Wellness Champion Spotlight | Jennifer Byers in Department of Radiology

Jennifer Byers Research Patient Coordinator II Department of Radiology Since Jen Byers first joined the Wellness Champion network in December of 2019, her passion for her work and her role as a Champion in support of her colleagues has stood out to me. An active Champion, Jen participates in Wellness Connection programming, organizes events for […]

Wellness Champion Spotlight | Raema Howell, OFMD

Raema Howell, MSHI, BSN, RN Planner II, Activation & Logistics Operations and Facilities Management Dept. (OFMD) Raema began working at WashU one year ago, and joined the Wellness Champion network in fall of 2021. As a new employee, Raema wanted an opportunity within the organization to connect with the surrounding community and raise awareness about […]

Wellness Champion Spotlight | Jennifer Holzhauer, Psychiatry

Jennifer Holzhauer, MSW, LCSWChild & Adolescent Psychiatry Jennifer has taken an active approach to her role since joining the Champion network in January 2021. She immediately recruited several co-champions to help impact various divisions within the Department of Psychiatry: Angela Williams, Rebecca Light-Pearlman, and Katherine Aravamudan. Working together as a cohesive unit, they used the […]

Wellness Champion Spotlight | Katie Navo, IM-Medical Ocology

Katie Navo, MSN, RN, FNP-BCIM | Medical Oncology Katie joined the Wellness Champion network a little over one year ago; she dove right in by arranging for a Benefits Chat overview presentation for her workgroup in Medical Oncology, to help them prepare for the upcoming Benefits Open Enrollment. She’s also coordinated mindfulness presentations, regularly updates […]

Wellness Champion Spotlight | Colorful Choices Team Captains

I’d like to recognize all of the Wellness Champions who rallied their teammates to join the new summer wellness challenge, Colorful Choices. Thank you for your leadership and your commitment to Wellness Connection and your colleagues. Your ingenuity, determination, and creativity are inspiring. Approximately 900 WashU employees participated in the Colorful Choices campaign. The charts […]

Wellness Champion Spotlight: Hatice Goshtaiy

Hatice Goshtaiy, MS IM – Infectious Diseases Hatice has been with WashU for the past 14 years and a Wellness Champion for the last 2.5 years. Since joining the Champion network in January 2019, she has been a strong advocate for Wellness Connection programming in her department, working with her supervisor to promote resources and […]