Enhancing faculty well-being and professional fulfillment
The Faculty of Health Sciences strives to cultivate a culture of well-being and professional fulfillment among its faculty members.
Paul O’Byrne, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences, spoke with Enas El Gouhary, director of faculty well-being, about developing and fostering a culture of enjoyment-in-work and enhanced professional fulfillment.
“We started studying the current state and really understanding the needs of our faculty” says El Gouhary.
One of the first strategic interventions is engagement at every level, says El Gouhary, using faculty focus groups and an upcoming think-tank retreat for leaders.
A guiding coalition was created to foster collaboration with the Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being, Human Resources, Continuing Professional Development and the Faculty’s associate dean of equity and inclusion and associate dean of Indigenous health, El Gouhary adds.
El Gouhary has a wealth of academic and clinical expertise and has served as the director of the neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship program within the Department of Pediatrics and as the chair of both the department’s mentorship and wellness committees.
In her capacity as the committee chair, she played a pivotal role in introducing mentorship circles specifically tailored for new pediatric faculty members.
Her leadership contributions extended to co-leading the implementation of the ‘Joy-in-Work’ framework, which emphasizes team engagement and empowerment.
In the future, El Gouhary envisions creating a network of well-being champions in every department and fostering a community of practice. This will aid in understanding needs at the individual level, implementing department-level interventions and determining how the central office can provide support for these efforts.
Faculty & StaffRelated News
News Listing
Elena Verdu appointed director of Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute
Faculty & Staff, Research
4 days ago
Sarah Wojkowski named vice-dean, Health Sciences & executive director, School of Rehabilitation Science
Faculty & Staff, Feature
6 days ago
June 17, 2024