Katie Navo, MSN, RN, FNP-BC
IM | 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 a wellness channel within MS Teams, and utilized the Human-Centered Design approach to personalize wellness for her specific workgroup. This means that – with the support of her supervisor – Katie has surveyed her colleagues about how the workplace supports (or doesn’t) a variety of healthy behaviors as well as which of the 8IGHT Ways they are most motivated to work on. This data allowed us to find one or two areas on which to focus our efforts, by connecting employees with existing WashU resources while also brainstorming ideas that would work best for their unique setting.
What motivates you to volunteer as a Wellness Champion?
There is a wealth of wellness information available to WashU employees, and I want to make people aware of those resources. I have found many of the resources helpful, so I hoped others would too. I like distributing that information to the team and connecting people with the tools and resources.
Are there any unique aspects of your department that make it particularly challenging or rewarding to be a Wellness Champion?
My team is spread out at a variety of WashU sites in Missouri and Illinois, which can be challenging when sharing information; not all of the in-person resources are as readily available to those at satellite locations.
Tell us about some actions you’ve taken to foster a culture of well-being in your department.
I distribute the weekly Wellness Connection information that is posted in MS Teams. I’ve arranged for a Mindfulness Session during a staff meeting, and plan to request additional presentations in the future. I also encourage my colleagues to participate in the wellness challenges.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know Katie over the past year, and appreciate the effort she’s putting into helping her team connect with vial health and well-being resources. Katie, thank you for being such a valuable asset and helping to keep your department aware of resources to maintain their health and well-being!
Become a Champion! If you’d like to learn more about the Wellness Connection Champion network and how to foster a culture of health and well-being in your department, check out our website: hr.wustl.edu/wellness-connection/champions/.