Resident Wellness
Resident wellness has always been a priority for the Greenwich Hospital/Yale University Residency Program.
To that end, a resident-led Greenwich Hospital Wellness Council champions efforts to facilitate camaraderie among residents in both a social and professional setting, and raise resident awareness of available resources for mental health and wellbeing.
Wellness Resources and Support
Social Events to Enhance Well Being and Decrease Burnout: The resident-led Resident Wellness Council regularly plans events for the residents based on resident interest. Examples of previous gatherings have included end of block get-togethers, beach day, hiking, pumpkin and apple picking and movie nights.
Food: Residents receive a monthly stipend for food allowances that can be used in the cafeteria. The Wellness Council also provides snacks and beverages for the resident lounge.
Exercise: There are several local gyms within walking distance of Greenwich Hospital including Equinox, Pure Barre, Soul Cycle and the YMCA. The YMCA provides discounted memberships for Greenwich Hospital employees.
Financial Support for Wellness: Greenwich Hospital provides meal stipends and subsidized housing (subject to taxes and utilities). The residency program also provides an annualized stipend (included in salary) to be used towards board review/Step 3 material, registration fees associated with exams, abstract/poster submissions, conference travel, etc.
There is funding for any additional Resident Wellness Council initiatives throughout the year.
Financial Support for Wellness: In addition to providing meal stipends and subsidized housing (subject to taxes and utilities), Greenwich Hospital also provides six months of free access to the UWorld Qbank to assist interns in preparing for Step 3. There is funding for the Resident Wellness Councils' different initiatives.
Call Schedule: During the week the inpatient teams are on call every three toi four days with sign out at 8:30pm for interns. On non-call days, teams sign out at 3:30 pm. Weekend call for interns will be either a “grey” weekend (Saturday overnight shift) or a “black” weekend (Saturday and Sunday day shifts). Weekends in which the intern is not on call is a "golden" weekend (off on Saturday and Sunday). This structure allows for greater resident flexibility.
Wellness afternoons: Residents are given four pre-scheduled half days for wellness purposes in addition to their guaranteed four weeks of vacation and monthly average of two weekends off.
The program director meets with each resident semi-annually for which the residents prepare a self-assessment. In addition, the core faculty at Greenwich Hospital have an “open door” policy that
allows residents to directly bring concerns to their attention.
Recognizing that work and life comes along with stressors and difficulties, Greenwich Hospital makes confidential, free resources available to residents through the Employee-Family Resources (EFR).
EFR (Employee Family Resources):
- Residents may access the EFR 24/7 by calling (877) 275-6226 or going to www.achievesolutions.net/ynhhs. Six free counseling sessions are offered.
- Other benefits of EFR include: work/life services (child care, parenting, family, and elder support), confidential counseling, legal and financial assistance, and online resources.
- Each resident is scheduled for an opt-out confidential Wellness check-in with the Employee Family Resource Program at Yale. The EFR offers assistance with everything from mental health, to financial counseling or referrals for legal support.
