Employee Wellness: 12/21

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Employee Wellness

by Susan Johnson, Ph.D.
Office of Health Promotion

It's hard to believe we are wrapping up another year. It seems like yesterday that I was writing about all the great things we had accomplished in making MUSC a healthier place to work.With the support and commitment of our leadership, we have moved beyond our own goals and expectations towards creating a true culture of wellness at MUSC.

Gold Apple: On March 1, MUSC was awarded the Gold Apple for its accomplishments in creating a healthy food environment. The Gold Apple designation is a nationally-recognized, effective and practical model for promoting delicious and affordable healthy food, and is awarded by the SCHA Working Well and NC Prevention Partners leadership.
MUSC Urban Farm: In March, a new educational garden was developed on the campus to create opportunities for participants to learn how to eat for health. Produce harvested on the farm is used by chefs to prepare wellness items in the MUSC cafeterias, donated to local food banks, used at the Ronald McDonald House, Hope Lodge, farm-to-school projects, and church food pantries, and shared with volunteers and participants in return for participating in farm sessions.
Office of Health Promotion: In June, the Office of Health Promotion was created to build an interprofessional, multidisciplinary network that supports collaboration, coordination, and commitment to a culture of wellness that reflects the mission of MUSC.
Porcher Medicinal Garden: When planning the space surrounding the Drug Discovery and Bioengineering buildings, MUSC dug back into its own archives to create the Porcher Medicinal Garden, which serves as an educational piece of living history right here on campus. The medicinal garden is based on the works of F. Peyre Porcher, former graduate and professor at the Medical College of the State of South Carolina, and author of Resources of the Southern Fields and Forests, which cataloged southern plants with therapeutic qualities that could be used as substitutes.
Tobacco-free campus and Gold Star designation: MUSC was recognized as a Gold Star Hospital as part of Working Well. In addition to creating a tobacco-free campus, we also implemented an innovative "pitch the pack" program, providing free cessation support and medication for employees and students as well as coupons for visitors to receive free nicotine replacement therapy.
SC Working Well Center of Excellence: MUSC has been honored to serve as a Working Well Center of Excellence for providing leadership within the health care industry, business community, and community at large.

Friday, Dec. 21, 2012

The Catalyst Online is published weekly by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. The Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to The Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.