Our UPMC Pain Medicine Division recently held two staff retreats focusing on clinician education as well as staff appreciation and wellness.
On January 19, 2018, for the first time, the division held a four-hour staff retreat entitled “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work,” encompassing wellbeing and acknowledgement for administrative and non-physician staff. Over the past year, as the opioid epidemic worsened, staff noted both a culture shift and burnout. The retreat provided a chance for staff to unite outside of the clinics and participate in activities related to stress management, crisis training, life/work balance, and the importance of essential oils for well-being. Speakers from both within and outside UPMC participated. Each pain clinic had an opportunity to submit a team photo showing creativity, effort, fun, and teamwork for a chance to win a pizza party. The retreat participants also made and colored cards for patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, brightening the day for many children. The division hopes to continue the retreats to thank their staff for all that they do to provide each patient with the best quality of care.
The Annual Pain Medicine “Mini Retreat” was also held on February 10, 2018 at Hillman Cancer Center. The event included educational lectures for physicians, nurses, and behavioral and advanced practice providers. The day featured three expert lectures after a breakfast and division update from Ajay D. Wasan, MD, MSc. Jeannie A. Sperry, PhD, LP, ABPP presented “Painful Conversations Made Easier: Tapering, Turning the Conversation, and Tapping into Resources”; Kimberlee Sweeney presented “Crisis Training and How to Handle Irate Patients”; and Paula Breuer, PT, BS; Megan Driscoll, MOT, OTR/L; and Susan Jarquin, PhD presented Multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Services: A Description of Who We Are and What We Do.”
All photos from the retreats can be viewed online.