Wellness Champion
Sarah Jaber, DNP, AGACNP
APP Wellness Champion
My name is Sarah Jaber. I’m an Acute Care NP working mainly in the surgical/trauma ICU & also cover the CTI, 7800 SICU, and EICU. I have been working at Washu for over seven years now and love it, and recently graduated with my doctorate (DNP)! I have one cat and one dog, am currently rehabbing my house, love staying active, and love to travel!
My current goals as a wellness champion would consist of:
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- bringing more attention to physical and mental health
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- Identifying active issues related to our workspace, life, current events, etc.
I am always open for conversation with anyone who wants to talk or reach out!
Parita Jani, MD
Residency Wellness Champion
My name is Parita Jani and I’m one of the rising CA-1s. I grew up in Atlanta, GA, went to undergrad and medical school at UAB in Birmingham, AL, and couples matched here for residency with my husband (current radiology resident)!
Sadia Karani, MD
Residency Wellness Champion
My name is Sadia and I'm also a CA-1. I'm originally from Houston went to medical school at UTSW in Dallas and ended up finally leaving Texas for residency. For me, wellness and self-care are essential and a joint effort in residency between residents and the program. As a wellness chair, I hope to optimize wellness at work and increase inclusivity by celebrating other cultural and religious holidays.
Daniel Nieva, MD
Peds Wellness Champion
Dr. Nieva joined the division of pediatric anesthesiology as a fellow in 2007 and stayed on as faculty. “Max” is the proud father of 10.5-year-old twins, Abigail and Andrew. Working with leadership as well as front line team members, his goal is to promote the eight components of a wellness program that engages all members of the pediatric division including admin, CRNAs, NPs, faculty, and fellows.
Whitney Payne
Research Wellness Champion
Whitney joined the department right before COVID-19 hit St. Louis in the winter of 2020. With the switch to work from home, she joined the group of wellness champions to try to find creative ways to connect with co-workers virtually and to encourage them to prioritize their own self-care.
"Personally, I love a good hike to see something beautiful in the natural world," says Whitney. "I think it's important to support each other, to remind each other that wellness is more than exercising and fad diets, and to remind one another that it's not about being perfect. Just try!"
Elizabeth Schappe, CRNA
CRNA Wellness Champion
Meet Elizabeth Schappe, one of our Wellness Champions and CRNA pod leaders in PVT. Elizabeth serves the PVT ORs and the OB anesthesia team. She recently won a grant from the Washington University Wellness Program for exercise equipment for the department and hopes to have an exercise room in PVT by the end of 2022.
Aside from work, Elizabeth spends most of her free time exploring the outdoors with her husband and three children.
Ilesha Shah, MD
Residency Wellness Champion
My name is Ilesha Shah, and I am originally from Phoenix, Arizona. I did a BA/MD program in New Jersey and then made my way to WashU for residency. My plans for after residency are to pursue a chronic pain fellowship and hopefully have my own practice one day! In my free time, I like to travel with my husband, work out, and cook.
Alex Shero, AG-ACNP-BC
APP Wellness Champion
I'm Alex Shero and I have been a nurse practitioner with the SICU for almost four years.
My goals as a wellness champion are:
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- Focusing on how to make individuals in our department feel included in our group
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- Participating in regular self-care
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- Finding new resources to promote mental health.
I am excited to support our hard-working APPs with social and wellness opportunities
Jenny Stephan, RN, SRNA
SRNA Wellness Champion
My name is Jenny. I am a graduate student at Goldfarb School of Nursing in the DNP- Nurse Anesthesia program as well as a former BJH 4400 Trauma/Surgical ICU nurse.
I enjoy spending my free time cooking new recipes, taking walks around Forest Park, and planning my next trip. The most unique places I’ve traveled to are Iceland and Thailand!
I am enthusiastic about wellness for healthcare workers. Specifically, I am passionate about student registered nurse anesthetist (SRNA) wellness because of the nature of the intense and stressful training. Meghan Woodham and I have championed a Wellness Committee within our program to bring awareness to this issue and improve the well-being of all future SRNAs. We plan on incorporating wellness initiatives and regular programming into the curriculum going forward at Goldfarb School of Nursing.
Meghan Woodham, RN, SRNA
SRNA Wellness Champion
My name is Meghan, and I am a senior in Goldfarb’s DNP CRNA program. Prior to anesthesia school, I worked in the Trauma/Neuro ICU at Mercy St. Louis.
My husband and I live in South City with our golden retriever, Gunner. We love experiencing all the fun things the city offers (particularly the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market)!
My current goals as an SRNA wellness champion include:
1. Educating my classmates on resources available to us for mental and physical health.
2. Bringing educational wellness guest speakers to our school. (Upcoming: Imposter Syndrome with Erin Herrera)
3. Helping current students feel empowered to prioritize wellness and find their own unique routine.