The Well-being Word
February 11, 2022
Associate Vice-Chair of Well-Being
Did you know that nearly 1,000 people work in our department? Our varied and diverse teams are not only spread all over campus, but all over St. Louis! We work in operating rooms, ICUs, labs, offices, from home—all OVER! WashU Anesthesia’s footprint has never been bigger. For those of you who had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Owens grand rounds presentation this week about the amazing history of our department, you can appreciate our incredible growth!
In an effort to better understand more about other roles, as well as get to know members of the department, we are kicking off a “Day in the Life” series! We hope this will be a great way for us all to learn more about how each of our divisions and roles fit together to make our department thrive.
One thing our three esteemed present and past Chairs agreed upon during grand rounds is that the reason our department has continued to grow and become a success is because of the people, relationships, and culture that we have cultivated and value above all else. It is the people of this department that make it truly tremendous.
Please join me this Saturday at 10 a.m. for our Wellness walk around the Hill! We will be sampling Italian treats (Gioia’s Deli is donating 20 hot salami sandwiches for people who are at the walk!), playing Bocce, and getting to know more about the area and each other.
Yours in Wellness,
Erin
Do you want to join the well-being efforts in the department? Become part of the inaugural Well-Being Committee! We need people with great wellness ideas who want to help engage our teams and improve overall well-being in the department. If this sounds like something you are interested in please contact Erin Herrera (erinherrera@wustl.edu).
Resources
Are you signed up for the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI) emails? They don’t send many — content is including training opportunities, Perspectives Dialogue topics, speakers, presentations and related programs. Sign up today!
The ODEI sent out a Black History in Medicine Newsletter on behalf of the WUSM Student National Medical Association. It’s worth a read — view it online.
Do you know who was the first African American woman CRNA? Katherine Carson Dandridge! Learn more about Katherine via this article from Nurse Anesthesiology.
Upcoming Events
Wellness Walk
Feb. 12, 2022 at 10am
Full agenda
Black History Month – Inclusive Perspectives: Black and Living with Disability – Experiences, Concerns, and Hopes
Feb. 15, 2022 at 12:30pm
Learn more
Black History Month 2022 – Dr. Kimberly Norwood: Colorism Thrives as Society Diversifies
Feb. 16, 2022 at 11:30am
Learn more
Black History Month – Advocacy & Allyship: Towards a More Racially Just St. Louis
Feb. 22, 2022 at 12:30pm
Learn more
Black History Month 2022 – HeLa 100: Race and Eugenics
Feb. 23 at 11:00am
Learn more
Black History Month 2022 – Black Excellence: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s)
Feb. 25, 2022 at 11:30am
Learn more
A Day in the Life of Eyno Ablordeppey, MD, MPH, FACEP, FCCM
Our first spotlight is on Dr. Enyo Ablordeppey! Aside from being my partner in crime as the Associate Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, she is Co-Director of 7800 Surgical ICU, Co-Director of the critical care Ultrasound training program and practices as an attending in the Emergency Department. Along with her clinical practice, she is also an avid researcher, mom to an adorable daughter, wife, and friend to many. I can’t wait for you to read what a typical day in Enyo’s life is like and learn about the many amazing ways she enriches our department.
5.00am: On an ideal day, I’m up! Especially if it’s an ICU week. If not, I press snooze. I check the baby monitor and give it another hour.
6.30am: Shower, get dressed and start getting the baby ready with my husband, Chad. He’s an elementary school teacher and leaves around 7:30am for work. If it’s an ICU week, I’m at work already! I’ve got lunch with my water and pomegranate juice in my Steelers lunch bag.
8.00am: Out the door to the office or starting ICU rounds. I need my coffee and granola; ICU rounds are long!
I work in the surgical ICU, surgical COVID ICU and tele-ICU. Some weeks, I’m working shifts in the Emergency Department.
9.30am: Let’s say it’s an office day: I respond to emails, attend Zoom meetings—you know the drill. I find it helpful to edit my “wish-list” for the day. I love my multicolored pens and paper calendar! I can’t function without them. I’ll admit that I get distracted by news and Twitter sometimes. I love med-twitter, great ultrasound videos, articles, and updates on what others are up to.
12.30pm: Rounds are over or I’m done with office work for the morning. I grab a quick lunch and on to the next task. More emails, write notes, draft at least one section of a grant, article, lecture, etc. I love to multitask,—I just give everything a little time and eventually, it will all get done.
2pm: Time to meet with my ultrasound fellows. I love working with advanced learners, it’s really cool to watch the dots connect. I feel good that they will use what they learn to immediately help patients. If not doing that, maybe a research meeting or lecture.
4pm: Afternoon rounds—these are quicker. Check those boxes and make sure everything gets done. Leave a little time to walk around, touch base with nurses and other colleagues. Oh yeah, its Wordle time…
6pm: ICU signout or head home. I’m really making an effort to get home between 6-7pm. Baby goes to bed around 7:45pm. I really love my mommy time and our nighttime routine. One or two nights a week, I may have a dinner or an event during that time. Mondays, I play tennis. I started taking lessons again and I really enjoy it. Look out, Serena!
9pm: Baby is asleep. I’ve prepared her food and milk for tomorrow. I read through emails in more detail, respond to a few. One more hour to focus on lecture, grant writing, manuscript, etc.
11:00p: Ok, time to wind down. “Wonder how patient in Bed XX is doing?” I think. Look through the days “wish-list” and check things off. Plan a new list for tomorrow.
Pre-covid dinner with multi-specialty intensivists
Ultrasound rounds with critical care fellows
Taking ICU signout before my shift starts
Is there a historically black college and university in St Louis?
Yes! There is an HBCU right here in St Louis!
Harris–Stowe State University is a historically black, public university located in midtown St. Louis. Harris–Stowe State University was established in 1857 with a motto of Affordable, Accessible, Diverse. This school was named Harris Teachers College in honor of William Torrey Harris who had been a Superintendent in the St. Louis Public Schools. In 1929, the name Stowe was added in honor of the abolitionist and novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Calm
The quality of the relationships in your life can deeply impact your overall health and mental well-being. Mindfully evaluating the network of connections around you, from family to colleagues to romantic partnerships, can help you appreciate your community more deeply. Use these resources from Calm, our mental wellness partner, to reflect on your relationships:
- Experience the power of compassion toward yourself and others with these meditations on Forgiveness
- Build a stronger sense of self-trust and self-worth with the Relationship with Self Series
- Learn more about the many facets of romantic partnerships — from handling heartbreak to building communication skills — in this meditation series on Love and Relationships
Have you downloaded Calm yet? Here’s what your colleagues are saying about the app…
“Calm has legitimately replaced all my other work music. I listen to it every day! I am currently jamming out to the deep focus playlist while I work on budgets!” -Randall Stateler
“I am 32 weeks pregnant and having my first feelings of frustration and wanting to be done. I downloaded the Calm app today and spent a half hour learning how to get started with it all. Long story short, it was much needed and thank you.” -Alyssa McClellan
“Big thank you for the Calm app! Studying for boards did a huge number on my anxiety levels! The app has been a huge help in getting me back to sleeping like normal again!” -Claira Sousa
Can you name the four historically Black medical schools currently in operation?
- Howard University College of Medicine (Washington DC)
- Meharry Medical College (Nashville TN)
- Morehouse School of Medicine (Atlanta GA)
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science “CDU” (Los Angeles CA)
Howard was the 1st established in 1868.
Get to know Meharry:
Meharry Medical College opened in 1876 in Nashville, Tennessee with less than a dozen students, mostly from the south. It was originally part of Central Tennessee College. Eventually five white men, the Meharry brothers, who had been befriended earlier in their lives by some blacks, furnished the resources for a four-story building. From 1877 to 1890, Meharry graduated 102 students.
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Mel Somerick CRNA testing out her snow blower!
Gosia Borchardt on a mission trip in Dominican Republic for Surgical Outreach of the Americas
Bernadette Henrichs CRNA being interviewed on the news during an early morning snow run!
Anesthesia Valentines bulletin board