(Part 1 of 2) Candace Williams talks about her term as co-leader of the Women Business Resource Group at Novant Health. Learn why their work was awarded the #1 spot at the national Impact Awards. Then join us for Part 2 where Candace shares how BRG leadership impacted her and how that's opening up new opportunities for her.

Ashleigh Hargrave  00:05

Welcome to mosaic, your Novant Health podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity. You'll learn more about the mosaic of similarities and differences that make us stronger, and how health equity benefits us all. Piece by piece, we're telling the stories of the beautiful mosaic of Novant Health.

Becky Knight  00:24

Hello, happy to have you with us for this episode of mosaic, where we focus on what Novant Health is doing in the areas of diversity, inclusion and equity. This episode will highlight the work of our Women's Business Resource Group or BRG at Novant Health. All of our BRGs are impactful and so so instrumental in embedding our value of diversity, inclusion and equity in every aspect of our organization. And the Women BRG is our most award winning. Their mission statement is the women BRG strives to offer a safe place for hard topics, a resource to gain tools for self-care and a place to increase skill, confidence and competence for team members in reaching their professional goals. And they have done just that. With me today is Candace Williams, who recently completed her term as Co- leader of the Women BRG, here to talk about how the BRG impacted our team members, and also how leadership impacted her personally and professionally. Candace, welcome, so glad to have you on this episode. Can you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your role at Novant Health?

Candace Williams  01:27

Thanks so much, Becky. As you said, my name is Candace Williams, I serve as Director of Patient Advocacy and health humanities. What that means is I have the pleasure of supporting work across the organization that supports our patients and their loved ones. I think at Novant Health we're all advocates. And my role, I get to do things like our patient rights video in English and in Spanish to make sure our patients understand their rights, support our community voice patient family advisory councils, which is a way that we bring the voice of patients and loved ones in as we're making decisions and coming up with ways to better care for our patients. And then on the health community side, really the pleasure of the arts, bringing the arts into our facilities, partnering with other teams, like guests and volunteer services. And recently we've begun installing murals in our parking decks just to create a new environment. So it's about the patient and family member experience, and a team member experience and how can we use art to impact that?

Becky Knight  02:31

And Candace, you just ended a very successful term as C0-leader of the Women's BRG here at Novant Health. In 2020, the BRG placed number two at the impact Awards, which are a national recognition, and in 2021, you took the top spot -- number one! What did that moment feel like and what was running through your mind?

Candace Williams  02:52

Going into it, Becky, all we knew was that we were in the top 25. We didn't know where we fell in the top 25. We just knew we were there. And honestly, in 2021, I was feeling a lot of pressure. Because when you've been number two, where do you go the next year? you want number one! And so in my mind, I thought, Is it even possible could it be but this is what we want. We want to continue to improve and get better. So there was just a lot of anxiety. So as the countdown was happening, I was absolutely on pins and needles. I was actually in the car driving my youngest daughter back from college for the weekend and was listening in. And the closer we got like I'm screaming in the car, I'm making all sorts of noise in the car. And when we got to I think it was like number four, number five, and we still hadn't been called. I very wisely pulled over at a rest stop because I was kind of losing it and pulled over the rest stop. And I'm just sitting there just waiting. And when they said when they announced the number two spot, which meant we were the number one spot. I absolutely lost it. I was screaming, I was crying. My daughter was like looking at me like it was also strange. It was amazing. It was so amazing to hear that. And I think at some point during the night, I thought am I right? Like, I think we're in the top 25. But the numbers are still going down and they haven't gotten to us yet. Like it was very surreal. It was an awesome experience.

Becky Knight  04:18

Yes, that was very exciting. And you definitely, I recall, kind of putting out the intention of you wanted to be number one, and you would share that on calls. And so what did you do to earn the number one spot what was the work that was recognized? 

Candace Williams  04:35

Definitely was believing for that number one spot and we were saying it all the time as a BRG and just were really amazed when it happened. In terms of work itself, we saw an opportunity to create something for our team members frontline through supervisory roles. Now, while Novant Health has a training and personal development available, we really saw an opportunity to leverage some existing training. It was available in sort of a self-paced way and really create some accountability. And the way we did that was by selecting specific modules that we thought would help a team member who wanted to grow in their career. We also set specific timelines there were, there were timelines by which certain things had to be completed. We worked with this company to provide coaching sessions for our team members. So as an organization, Novant Health would cover team members to coaching sessions for free. And additional coaching sessions were $10 Each, we wanted to make sure that even that $10 wasn't an obstacle. So we agreed and determined that we would support any team member who needed that assistance with that $10. So that that even wouldn't be an obstacle for the team members. And so it was really amazing the feedback we received from those who participated in it, because they weren't taking advantage of what was already there. So instead of us we thought about do we want to build something from scratch, but we didn't need to completely reinvent the wheel, what we needed to do was present it in a way, like I said, that created that buy in, that created that level of accountability that encouraged people to take advantage of coaching, which is so valuable, and so many people don't understand the value of it. And so everybody who participated, agreed to a certain number of coaching sessions, a certain number of modules to work on resumes, and interviewing skills, and all those things. And so I think it really produced something wonderful. And those who participated gave wonderful feedback about it.

Becky Knight  06:34

That is, that is, yeah, great work, and was so thrilled that it was recognized, and I think sets the standard for what other people and other companies can do for their team members. And I like what you said about you don't necessarily have to reinvent it, but customize it. Know who, who your members are and what they need and create something that is accessible and relevant to that was so well done. And you did have a lot of other things that you did during your two years. When you look back, are there other moments that stand o...

Yvonne Dixon, a health director for Novant Health shares her reason for taking the Covid 19 vaccine and the historic and recent health inequities that may deter African-Americans and people of color from receiving theirs.

The  Covid 19 Vaccine: A Reflection on Impact and Equity - Yvonne Dixon

January 2021

Welcome to Mosaic, your Novant Health podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity. You'll learn more about the mosaic of similarities and differences that make us stronger, and how health equity benefits us all. Piece by piece, we're telling the stories of the beautiful mosaic of Novant Health.

Ashleigh Hargrave  0:28  

I'm Ashleigh Hargrave. Today's episode features a leadership reflection with the spotlight on health equity. We'll hear from Yvonne Dixon, Director of health equity, as she shares her personal reflection on the COVID-19 vaccine and equity in medicine.

Yvonne Dixon  0:47  

Hello, everyone, this is Yvonne Dixon, Director of health equity from the Office of diversity, inclusion and equity. really, you know, I want you to hear something, do you hear that sound in the background. it's a tick tock sound? It is  an actual clock there, I have an antique clock on the wall, and I'm sitting up under this clock. And it's called an eight day clock. This clock is about 100 years old, or I'll say is over 100 years old, it was my great grandfather's clock. So yes, it's over 100 years old, but I'm sitting under this clock, just to remind me and you of what time it is.

You know, there are times in which I am sitting in the same room with this clock. And although the tick tock is very loud. Sometimes I don't hear it.I have become so accustomed to hearing this tick tock sound, that I can be in the same room with it sometimes, and I don't hear it. I bring that up because there are times in which when we are called, we are called to do something that is so very right, we don't do what is needed because we don't hear it. We don't hear the call. Because we believe that, you know, sometimes maybe we don't need to hear that call. Or we can become immune to hearing that call  if needed for need.

Unknown Speaker  2:28  

Again, confirmed cases within North Carolina is 6274. We also have a number of deaths, meaning 7328. Again, this is a call I want you to hear this call, not become immune to this call.Because the call is for all of us to really and truly highly consider taking the COVID vaccine injection.I have taken this injection.

3:07  

And that was on the 22nd of December. I'll be due for my second injection on the 18th of January. And I'm looking forward to taking the second part of that vaccine. Why? No, I don't like to get stuck. But at the same time, I know that it's beneficial for me. And I'm very thankful that we have the opportunity to be able to take this vaccine. I know that there are several people, I've talked with several people that are not interested in taking this vaccine and really not having a real good reason as to why. But I do understand, especially when we're talking about previous history, especially as it relates to African Americans. You know, for black people, we have had a very bad history when it comes to how we have been treated as a relates to medicine. One of those stories relating to the Tuskegee experiment, and how so many men were not treated appropriately because of the the diagnosis of syphilis, and not given the treatment to eradicate  syphilis, only doing some of those things such as what we can hear about now kind of like that watch and wait and see what happens. But the watch and waiting for those individuals for over 40 years during the course of this experiment did not provide for great benefits. Matter of fact, death occurred. And then we think about in the past the story about Henrietta Lacks and howher body was used for science, although the outcome of that science was good,  her family was not, did not provide for approval to be able to use her body. Again, one of those inequities in science.

  5:19  

And as we look to the present right now, there are so many individuals that are not receiving equitable care, based upon sometimes those social determinants of healththat befall us. But at the same time, there is truth, and there is appropriate treatment for all of us. And we must speak that truth, I say to you, and to all of us to seek getting that treatment of the COVID vaccine.

5:55  

Number one, I told you,  I have received the treatment and am going back to the second portion of that vaccine. Also, as an African American, and female, black female, I know that I am at that age where COVID is is really taken us out those individuals that are over 60 years old, I fall into that category, also African American, I am in that category. And I also have someone here that lives with me, my 92 year old father, who definitely has comorbidities that would if he were to obtain thevirus, that would definitely befall him as a health care provider, as a nurse entering in and out of these facilities and definitely don't want to carry anything with me. So just knowing what's been in the past as to why African Americans do not want to take it and then knowing what's current, in terms of inequities in health care, and there are,but there's no reason for you to not take care of yourself. I urge you, I contend that this vaccine is something that we all need to take. But I am mostly impressing upon my African American brothers and sisters, to please take this vaccine.

  7:36  

Because as you can hear in the background once again of the ticking clock.It is important for us to know what time it is.

Ashleigh Hargrave  7:46  

Thank you, Yvonne for sharing your insight and personal reflections on equity and the necessity for care, especially as it relates to the COVID-19 vaccine, and all of our communities. Listeners, please contact your healthcare provider for more information as your health care provider is a valuable partner in looking after your health and helping you make decisions about your care.

 
 8:17  

Thanks for listening to mosaic your podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity at Novant Health. Stay tuned for our next exciting episode.

Becky Knight  0:00  
Thank you for joining us today with me is Sonia Hart. And she's going to be with us to talk about the significance of Black History Month, really the significance of what's happened in the last year and how that's impacting the members of the Business Resource Group. And then what she sees is the future.

Sonia, welcome. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself by way of introduction.

Sonia Hart  0:21  
Thank you Becky, for having me here. Um, my name is Sonia heart. I am in my day job, the program manager for heart failure for the Greater Charlotte market. I'm also the former chair for the African American BRG had been in that role for the last couple of years and was really excited to be able to pass that torch on to our new chairs. I have been with Novant for 21 years. So and we've seen a lot of changes throughout that time and just really excited about what the future holds.

Becky Knight  0:56  
Well, we are recording this in February, which is Black History Month. And I thought we'd begin with a reflection from you on a historical figure or maybe someone that is personally meaningful to you, someone that you think of this month and the contributions that they've made to Black history and American history.

Sonia Hart  1:14  
I think for me right now, the person that comes to mind is Cicely Tyson. And with her recent passing, just really learning about her life, and she had lived for 96 years. So she had a very full life. Also reading her book right now, which is very interesting. And just to kind of see the parallels of the things that she went through to get where she was as this world renowned actress, um, she's very introverted, very thoughtful. So she really reminds me of myself in a lot of ways as far as really being thoughtful about what's the next step or what's the next plan, and always having a purpose in mind. So I think for me, that's who comes to mind for me as a historical figure.

Becky Knight  2:03  
So you are a part of this modern history. So this last summer 2020, and really the whole year 2020 is one that will go down in the history books as being quite memorable for several reasons, both for the COVID-19 pandemic, and also the racial and social unrest following the killing of George Floyd. And I wondered if you had any thoughts on what it was like to be a part of the the leadership of the BRG, which is over 600 members strong, and what that was like to be a part of this time in history and to lead folks during such an upheaval and such a time filled with so many emotions.

Sonia Hart  2:48  
I think for me, personally, what I saw the BRG do was two things, it was a safe space, for those people of color, to really kind of just, you know, get together to talk about the issues that were at hand, especially with the pandemic and having to social distance. And then with the social unrest with George Floyd and, you know, trying to still remain professional at work, we're still having these feelings of how do I cope with this as an individual, and we did some really great sessions during the summer to really kind of bring home the point of it is okay to have the feelings that you have, and to make sure that they have outlets to be able to express their feelings and to know that they had support in the BRG and I thought we did a really good job of facilitating that and providing that safe space for them.

Becky Knight  3:49  
As someone who's been here, you said 21 years? How do you see or do you see a change in how maybe Novant Health would have responded 20 years ago to how it responded now? Have you seen a change in how we're able to talk about race and racism?

Sonia Hart  4:06  
I will honestly say I really applaud Carl Amato and his efforts as well as the executive team for the insight that they have on things and really taking a stand when it may not be the most popular at the time. We're always taught as young people that two things that you don't discuss in the workplace is your salary, and politics, or racism, or any of those types, untouchable subjects and I really think this past year in particular, that those subjects have now come to the forefront and it's important to have those discussions and share those feelings and have people be able to voice their concerns or their opinion respectful way, but to know that they everybody is not going to be the same or everybody is not going to agree and it's okay to be disagreeable, but just to always be respectful and I think call and the executive team did a really good job of showing that with their leadership.

Becky Knight  5:08  
How do you see the African American BRG as a place for understanding both the past, and also what's going on in the present?

Sonia Hart  5:17  
I will say to that question, Becky, that I do feel like we still have a ways to go with addressing the present. I think there are opportunities out there for us as BRGs to really reach across the aisle and have those courageous conversations and discussions to move race relations forward, as well as you know, developments of equity in our hiring practices, as well as just in general in day to day reactions with other employees, I think we still have, I think we've come a long way, in especially the part of being able to have conversations with a co-worker that may not look like you or may not have the same belief that you have, but I still feel as if there is still much more work to be done in that area.

Becky Knight  6:12  
Any last parting thoughts or words of wisdom as we close our episode?

Sonia Hart  6:17  
I would probably just say, in closing that I feel like Novant Health is on the cutting edge of what diversity and inclusion looks like. And I think that we have a really significant blueprint that I think other companies really want to learn from and follow. So I'm extremely proud to say that I have been a part of that for a very long time and still look forward to see what's next.

Becky Knight  17:10  
We're very fortunate to have you as a 20 plus veteran of Novant Health and hope you'll continue to to be with us and I know you're still involved in the Black + African American BRG as kind of a senior sage leader. And so really value that that history and that perspective that you bring as someone who's been involved for a long time, and people come in with energy and ideas. And we need those kind of elders in the group who can share their wisdom and expertise. So thank you for all that you've done for the BRG and for Novant Health as a whole. And thank you for being our guest today on Mosaic.

Sonia Hart  17:46  
Thank you Becky

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Ashleigh Hargrave  0:05  

Welcome to Mosaic, your Novant Health podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity. You'll learn more about the mosaic of similarities and differences that make us stronger, and how health equity benefits us all. Piece by piece, we're telling the stories of the beautiful mosaic of Novant Health.

Becky Knight  0:24  

One critical piece of the Novant Health mosaic is our Business Resource Groups are BRG's. They are voluntary groups of team members united around a common identity and their work positively impacts our patients, our organization and the communities we serve. With me on this episode is Lauri, a Novant Health team member and BRG member here to share about her cancer journey. We are in the midst of Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, and a few weeks ago was International Women's Day where the theme was "choose to challenge" and I can't imagine a much bigger challenge to face than cancer. So Lauri, thank you so much for being here and sharing your story. Can we begin with you telling us a little bit about yourself?

Lauri  1:04  

Sure, thank you. My husband and I moved down here to North Carolina about three years ago as we were searching for warmer weather. I began my career at Novant Health at that time, I am also the Secretary to our Native American BRG, and I really enjoy that. We've been married for 23 years. We don't have any children, but we do have three dogs. In my spare time, I like to go golfing, camping and help rescue dogs find their forever homes.

Becky Knight  1:36  

Wonderful

Lauri  1:38  

I'm also a colon cancer survivor of almost nine years. 

Becky Knight  1:42  

Yeah, so tell me more about that. You know, in researching this and being Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, I just found out that colon cancer is a lot more prevalent than I expected and a lot more deadly. And it's actually, when you look at men and women combined, it's the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death. So what was that like to hear that you were diagnosed?

Lauri  2:10  

Yeah, I don't know that I could ever truly explain the feelings that overcome you when you get a cancer diagnosis. But I have to say first, I was shocked. I was only 42 years old. And I thought colon cancer only happened to the elderly. The only symptoms that I was having was I was having some episodes of diarrhea, which actually was unusual for me. And then I started having some abdominal pain. So at that point, I did go to my primary care doctor, she referred me to a colorectal specialist. She thought that I had irritable bowel syndrome. But in order to get that diagnosis, you have to have everything else ruled out. So that was obviously not the diagnosis that I got. So after I met with the colorectal surgeon, he did tell me that I had stage three colon cancer, and that it was nearly obstructing my bowel and that I needed surgery right away. And I honestly don't think I heard anything he said after he said that. It took me... it took a while for the initial shock to wear off. And then I was definitely scared. I wasn't sure what to expect as I embarked on this new cancer journey. It was definitely a scary time.

Becky Knight  3:27  

Wow. Yeah. And like you said, you think of it as something that happens, you know, to older folks, and the median age is 68 for men and 72. For women, though, the median age for onset is getting earlier and earlier. So yes, so some of the shock of not only the the diagnosis, but to feel so young and to have something so significant happen.

Lauri  3:54  

I have to say they have found that younger people are getting colon cancer much more than they had in the past. And there are some organizations that now recommend starting your colon cancer screening at age 45 instead of the age 50 that it's always been.

Becky Knight  4:13  

Yeah, and when African American Actor Chadwick Boseman. When it came out in the news that he had died last year of colon cancer. He was only 43. Did you have any reactions when you heard that news?

Lauri  4:25  

Yeah, when I heard the news, of course it brought back all the feelings I had when I was diagnosed. I wondered why I lived and Chadwick, who was a superhero, had to die. I thought about how strong he was as he continued to work through his multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. I also felt very sad for his family and everything that he must have had to go through during the last three years of his life. I also tried to think about anything positive and then I realized that his high profile death has definitely raised awareness of colon cancer. I hoped that with that increased awareness that would encourage others to get screened, because I cannot stress how important early screening is because the survival rate is significantly higher the earlier that you can catch colon cancer.

Becky Knight  5:17  

Yes, screening is so important. And I wanted to look at the data too. I mentioned earlier that colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer among men and women combined. But when we look deeper into that data, we do see there are racial disparities. You shared that you're involved with the Native American business resource group, and one of the goals of our BRG's is to work on reducing health disparities. So looking at the data on Native Americans, they are more likely to get diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Their diagnosis occurs later in the progression of their cancer, and they experience higher colorectal cancer death rates compared to the US as a whole. And while the incidence rates are declining for white Americans, they remain unchanged for indigenous populations. So it's vital that we recognize the disparities and work to close the gaps because everyone needs and deserves access to lifesaving screenings, and treatments. And speaking of treatment, you mentioned how Chadwick worked during the last few years as he was battling cancer. I imagine he must have had people close to him, supporting him through such a difficult and demanding time. What was treatment like for you? Did you have a lot of support during your treatments?

Lauri  6:32  

So my journey began, of course, when I got the colon cancer diagnosis, and then I started with I needed to have a colon resection where they removed the tumor and they also removed about 12 inches of my large intestine. Unfortunately, on the fourth day after surgery, I developed fevers and the pain became unbearable. So I had a CT scan, which showed that I had an ns an osanastomosis leak, which is a leak where they had reconnected the two ends of my colon during the previous surgery. So I had to go back to surgery. They also had to create a temporary ileostomy so that the surgical repair would have time to heal. Even though I had been a nurse for 20 years, I have to say learning to manage my own ileostomy bag was more than I ever imagined. I just would have never thought that I would ever have to do that for myself. The progress through the remainder of my hospital stay was slow, but I was finally able to leave the hospital after 18 days. The normal time i...

Ashleigh Hargrave  00:05

Welcome to Mosaic, your Novant Health podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity. You'll learn more about the mosaic of similarities and differences that make us stronger, and how health equity benefits us all. Piece by piece, we're telling the stories of the beautiful mosaic of Novant Health.

Becky Knight  00:24

This is Becky Knight and I have the privilege of working with Novant Health BRGs. Business Resource Groups or BRG's play a critical role in our goal to embed diversity, inclusion and equity throughout the organization. BRGs are groups of team members gathered around a dimension of diversity. They're a forum for the exchange of ideas, experiences, and perspectives. BRGs help us better understand ourselves and each other, and they help us keep our Novant Health promise to relentlessly pursue remarkable care every day, so patients get the compassionate, expert and personal experience they deserve. On a previous episode, I spoke with the founder of our newest BRG Rebound, whose vision is to create an open and supportive environment to raise awareness of mental health and substance abuse diagnoses. On this episode, we'll hear from a member of the Rebound BRG about how the group has supported her and her thoughts on reducing stigma in the workplace. We'll also hear from a member of our Women Physicians BRG to get a clinical perspective on mental health. Tanya, thank you so much for joining me for this episode. Can you tell me a bit about your role as a transporter in our organization?

01:40

I am responsible for taking patients to procedures and taking patients up to the roof when they've been admitted. And I have a lot of interaction with patients. So I really enjoy just speaking with patients and helping them to get their mind off of things and just being there to support them in a unique role.

Becky Knight  02:06

Can you tell me a bit about the BRG you're involved in?

02:10

Well, in New Hanover, we have a BRG that is focused on mental health awareness. It's called Rebound. And we are just trying to create a safe space for people to speak about what they may or may not be going through, what their family members may or may not be going through, just for them to be able to get help without being stigmatized by common misconceptions surrounding mental health.

Becky Knight  02:55

Would you mind sharing with me why you wanted to join the rebound Business Resource Group?

03:01

I actually had a experience lately where I had to go in for a reactions with the medication and that reaction induced anxiety. Just that stigma of being afraid of going in for an issue that might coexist with anxiety. That is is the stigma that we're trying to combat.

Becky Knight  03:35

I spoke with Sarah Arthur in a previous episode, and she mentioned that in starting the BRG at first people were reluctant. And that's understandable, especially for a mental health group in the workplace. But that didn't stop you. Why not?

03:50

I just have a great interest in helping people understand these issues and helping people understand that it's a medical issue, that there's a chemical imbalance in brain like we've all heard about. But we don't really know what to do with that information. That's just a sad thing, because it doesn't create that safe space that people should be able to feel when they go to a hospital for help.

Becky Knight  04:18

Yeah, definitely hospitals should be a safe space for sure. And I just appreciate what the BRG is doing because I think it's a good thing to be conscious of, for one thing, the words that we use to describe people and how even if we're talking, you know, among co workers, you think, well the patient can't hear you -- but your coworker hears you, your coworker hears what you're saying, and that might make them think twice about if you're a safe person or not for them to talk to.

04:48

Everybody needs help sometimes whether that help is just talking to a friend or family member or a colleague or if they need to come in and get help from a doctor, you know, that's okay. And we're trying to create an environment where people feel safe to do that.

Becky Knight  05:08

Thank you, Tanya. I appreciate your dedication to your transporter role, and for helping our patients feel more at ease as you navigate them around the hospital. And I also appreciate your willingness to work towards educating all of us on how to be more compassionate with each other. At this point, I'd like to welcome Dr. Michelle Constantino to the discussion. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with Bariatric Solutions. She helps patients prepare for weight loss surgery, as well as help them live well after surgery. She's also a member of our Women Physicians Business Resource Group. Michelle, welcome. And thank you for being a part of this episode, I wanted to start with your thoughts on how the pandemic is affecting mental health.

Michelle Constantino  05:55

Yeah, I think it's been a huge change for people. I think people were isolated. And that was hard, especially people who lived alone. And then, I guess there's just different layers to it, because then there was people who are trying to also homeschool children and work full time jobs. So there was that stressor for people. 

Becky Knight  06:16

Yeah. And you've likely seen the reports by McKinsey, the Brookings Institution and others about how the pandemic has disproportionately affected women, especially women of color. So obviously, this is affecting our our team members, and they are feeling the impact at work and at home. A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation for women under 30, in particular found that 69% feel that the pandemic has harmed their mental health. So this is affecting our team members in their clinics in the hospitals and our corporate offices. It's something we need to address. And so if we're concerned about a family member or friend, coworker, or ourselves, What are the signs that the issue is more than just the normal day to day blues and blahs? When do we need to seek help?

Michelle Constantino  07:07

I think anything chronic so you know, we all have our days where we might just want to be left alone and might not pick up our phone or want to do something social. So that's, you know, normal, like I just want to kind of relax and you know, turn off from the outside world. But when that becomes a consistent pattern, so when you see someone doing that days on end, maybe coming home from work, and just isolating in their room, not picking up their phone, or missing work, you know, days of not showing up or not performing well. And, you know, your appetite changes, you can be more or less hungry for days. It's usually I mean depression, you see it, they say it's typically about two weeks. And that's when you want you want to know that something's going on. What else changes, um, you might sleep more, you might sleep less you you your sleep cycle can get disrupted, you might wake up really early or have middle the night awakening. So those are lots of signs and symptoms.

Becky Knight  08:11

So considering that mental health has long been difficult to access for many people, What tips do you have for how to access the help that you need?

08:24

A couple ways to reach out for help are I mean, you can always just, you know, talk to a friend. At Novant, you can go through your employee assistance program. If you work for the hospital, you can see a therapist for free. You can also just call your insurance company, like call the number on the back of the card and they will tell you providers that accept your insurance. There is a website also psychologytoday.com. I love this website. When I've had a therapist in the past, it's honestly how I have found my therapist. You can go type in your zip code, you can check box, your insurance company and whatever you want to work on. Or you don't have to check any of those things. But you can see if you're working on depression, anxiety, just like life adjustments, relationship issues. And then it will populate profiles with pictures. And so you can read people's profiles see their picture and kind of get a feel for who might be a match for you. And then you can just email them or call them. And usually most therapists will give you like a free like consult. And so you can see if they're a good fit. And that's like the number one most important thing is to have a good rapport and a good relationship with your therapist. If you connection, you're probably not going to want to keep talking to them. So interview people . Interview and find a good connection.

Becky Knight  09:46

Do you have any tips for maybe for those of us who are working in healthcare, why it's so important to not stigmatize mental health and also for those who want to, you know, seek help, how to not let that be a barrier to them. It's okay to talk to somebody, it's okay. And it doesn't mean that somebody even has a diagnosis. And even if they do have a diagnosis, that's okay too. But don't make assumptions about anybody, like, you don't know what's going on in their personal lives. Like, they could have lost a family member during COVID. And they're supposed to sit there and dealt with that on their own like, it's okay, if they need to go talk to a therapist. A lot of mental health diagnoses are inherited. So there's a high percentage of you getting a disease from your family line. And when that happens, there's nothing you can do to change that, chemically speaking, right? You get your.. we all get what we get. And so what you can do is get support. And that looks like the right medication management. And I always say to my patients who come in and they're opening up for the first time I tell them, if you have asthma, you would use your inhaler to breathe, right? If you have diabetes, you take your insulin, so your sugar levels are where they need to be right? And so literally what mental health is hormonal imbalances in your brain. And so medication literally helps bring your hormones to where they need to be. There's a feedback loop between the brain and the body that works all day long to regulate all of our hormones. And sometimes that feedback loop just has a little miscommunication. And what medication does is get that communication back on track. So there's nothing wrong with that.  And any last words of wisdom or encouragement for folks to get the help that they might need? You're changing generations of dealing with mental health from, you know, maybe unhealthy coping to healthy coping, and people are changing that for their children as well. And I think it's a beautiful thing when someone can reach out and get help and make those changes. And so I think just you know, thinking about it, just like any other medical condition, you want your friend to take care of their bodies, they need to take care of their minds too. Dr. Michelle Constantino, thank you so much for being here and sharing your wisdom with us. And thank you to my earlier guests, Tanya, as well from New Hanover Regional Medical Center. I know that this will be useful information for many people. So thank you so much.

Ashleigh Hargrave  12:28

Thanks for listening to mosaic your podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity and Novant Health. Stay tuned for our next exciting episode.

00:05

Welcome to Mosaic, your Novant Health podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity. You'll learn more about the mosaic of similarities and differences that make us stronger, and how health equity benefits us all. Piece by piece, we're telling the stories of the beautiful mosaic of Novant Health.

00:25

Hi, this is Becky Knight BRG administrative coordinator, and on a previous podcast I talked with Sarah Arthur about the creation of the Rebound Business Resource Group. This new BRG provides an open and supportive environment to raise awareness of mental health and substance use diagnoses. On this episode, we will hear more about addressing stigma and what Rebound has planned for the future. And I'll wrap up with some easy to access resources if you or someone you know needs assistance.

00:56

Courage is one of our values. And I'm encouraged to learn more about how people are taking advantage of this resource for themselves and their families, and by extension our community. Is there a general stigma about mental health and substance use and even more so in certain communities? I was wondering what have you observed? And how is the BRG addressing stigma and making these conversations..

01:23

So we want to make every employee feel comfortable. Now a lot of times people rely on their friends and family and peers for support. And that's okay. But when you hear that one of them has also utilized a formal counseling service or a physician or a certain medication, you're more willing to try it yourself and actually utilize that help. I think that when you see someone like yourself as well, you don't feel as alone and isolated when it comes to certain feelings that you may be having. And it often helps if you can have a friend tell you, Hey, I noticed that you're acting a little differently. And that's why we also promote through this group knowing ways in which to bring about the subject of mental health. We share you know with throughout our system, the five ways to bring up mental health. We share things like Mental Health First Aid training, just to give people the tools because it's an uncomfortable subject. You don't want to trigger someone, you don't want to bring up a conversation that then you don't know what to do about it if someone is really in crisis, and you don't want to be the result of anyone's downfall either.

03:21

So to wrap up, I'd love to know a little bit about your plans for this coming year. What's on the horizon?

03:30

Yes, we had a really big focus last month on Mental Health Awareness Month, we had a lot of testimonials from people within the group, to again, try and break down that stigma and encourage more people to join rebound. The group, we have several different components that we're working on when it comes to education, reducing stigma, and then looking at our different policies and procedures within the hospital system. So one thing in particular, when it comes to policies, we noticed several employees within the group had been on medications from their physician, but through our policy, because it's considered a controlled substance. They didn't necessarily know that they needed to report that to employee health. And then in other instances, it came about where you know, a leader may have just heard that they were on this medication, and then had a perception of how it made the person act or maybe what diagnosis went along with it. Again, making the person feel like they had done something wrong for taking something that they were prescribed. So we're going to work with employee health and how we can educate new employees that are coming in, as well as current employees to make people feel like they can take their needed medication. Oftentimes, people may not do it because they want to keep their job, which isn't good for their mental health. So that's one thing. And then when it comes to education, we're continuing to promote mental health first aid training throughout our organization, specifically for leaders so that they feel like they have the tools to help their employees. And we're working with HR on the companion support team or compassion support team. So you have a peer that can support you in a crisis.

05:36

If this conversation has sparked in you a desire to reach out for help, I did want to close with some resources. First Novant Health has a behavioral health call center. It is operated 24/7/365 and staffed by masters level therapists who can assist individuals and family members in navigating the world of treatment for substance use and mental health issues. We're going to give that number is 1-800-718-3550 and it's available to all team members, providers, patients, community members, to everyone.

06:27

You can also contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Their national hotline is 1-800-6TO-HELP or 1-800-662-4357. And they do have a free confidential referral Information Service and it's available in English and Spanish. Finally, I just want to say thank you to Sarah for being with me and sharing about this important BRG and the work that they're doing and I know is going to just be so impactful in the year to come as we all try to get well and on the road to recovery. Thank you, Sara.

07:22

Join us next time where I'll have with me a member of the Rebound BRG to share with me about how the group has supported her and how she's working to decrease stigma in the organization and among her fellow team members. And I'll also be joined by a physician from the women physicians BRG, which we have at Novant Health. And she's going to give a clinical perspective and some additional resources for team members and for those in the community who may need assistance. Thank you so much. Join us next time.

08:04

Thanks for listening to Mosaic, your podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity and Novant Health. Stay tuned for our next exciting episode.

00:05

Welcome to Mosaic, your Novant Health podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity. You'll learn more about the mosaic of similarities and differences that make us stronger, and how health equity benefits us all. Piece by piece, we're telling the stories of the beautiful mosaic of Novant Health.

00:24

Welcome, this is Becky Knight and I have the privilege of working with Novant Health BRGs. Business Resource Groups (or BRGs) play a critical role in our goal to embed diversity, inclusion and equity throughout the organization. BRG's are groups of team members gathered around a dimension of diversity. We currently have 14 groups, a few of which include pride for LGBT team members and allies, veterans, Latino/Hispanic and coexist our interfaith BRG. The newest addition to our big lineup is rebound, whose vision is to create an open and supportive environment to raise awareness of mental health and substance abuse diagnoses. We'll hear from the founder in just a moment. But first, I wanted to share some sobering statistics. Yes, our health care workers are heroes, for sure. But first and foremost, they're very human. Health care has always been a rewarding, but demanding calling and the recent past has showed us just how demanding it can be. While others waited out the pandemic at home our frontline workers faced it head on. From June to September 2020. Mental Health America surveyed health care workers to get a feel for their mental health and wellness. They have responses from over 1100 health care workers. And the statistics are pretty sobering. 93% of healthcare workers were experiencing stress 86% reported experiencing anxiety 77 reported frustration 76 reported exhaustion and burnout, and 75%. So they were overwhelmed. Clearly, our helpers need help. To find out more about this Business Resource Group and how it is supporting team members and the community. I have with me, Sarah Arthur. Sarah, can you share about your personal and professional background a bit.

02:30

Thank you for having me. I act as the manager of community engagement here at New Hanover and previous to this job, I worked as a inpatient social worker, and a clinical social worker doing therapy with patients in the community. So I've always been really engaged and passionate about working with people that have a diagnosis of mental health or have struggled with substance use. I also have a connection with my family. Several members of my family have struggle with substance use disorder, alcoholism, opioid use disorder and bipolar disorder. So growing up as a child, you know, I truly remember several events that were pivotal to awaken me to this population and what my family was truly dealing with. One particular event my house almost caught on fire, because my cousin had taken too many opioids and was nodding off while smoking in our house. So I, you know, I struggled in the beginning as to whether I really wanted to work with people that has substance use disorder and pushed through that to find that I care about them so much, not only because they are part of my family, but because I can truly understand where they're coming from.

04:06

How did those experiences inform your decision to try to start this group?

04:12

So this BRG started because I feel that there was no voice for these employees within our system. I knew that we had patient family advisory councils for a lot of our different Institute's like our behavioral health hospital or Cancer Center. And also I knew about these BRG's that focus on different populations to give them a voice within our system and I just saw where this was truly missing.

04:48

Was there anything surprising about the process of starting the BRG?

04:53

It has taken quite a while to get people willing to join, especially leaders within our organization, because they didn't want to be treated differently for being a part of the group. But it's definitely taken off. And I've been amazed at how comfortable people feel at sharing their story and how supportive they feel about other employees that maybe have gone through an issue with employee health because of a certain medication they're on or they've been talked about by other employees because of some different behavior that they may be experiencing because of their mental health disorder. So I think that you know, the sky's the limit with this group. We named it rebound because truly those in recovery rebound higher. That's kind of our slogan for this group, just to give some hope for a lot of people, we have a lot of family members that have joined the group as well, and gotten support as they work to support their family and themselves.

 
06:10

Thank you, Sarah, for persevering and for getting this rebound BRG off the ground, your tenacity, and your compassion is quite evident. So thank you for sharing that story with us. And I hope you'll join me to talk on the next episode about what the BRG is doing in the future, what your plans are and how those plans will impact both our team members and our community. Thank you so much.

07:34

Thanks for listening to mosaic your podcast for diversity, inclusion and equity and Novant Health. Stay tuned for our next exciting episode.