The wellness ambassadors will deliver care packages to residents who are ill.

Residents are notorious for spending little time caring for themselves during the turmoil of residency. Everyone gets sick, and few, if any, residents take the time to really go see their own physician, take medication, or take any measures to get well. Modeling off of a program from another large institution, the residency wellness committee in conjunction with UT Southwestern Women in Surgery will start a group composed of wellness ambassadors to serve this very purpose.

The aim is to coordinate a group of faculty who will serve as wellness advocates for residents when they find themselves under the weather, by sending a small care package of medications, tissues, soup, and other comfort items the residents might need to help them get well. The wellness ambassadors will help build our community and promote wellness throughout the residency.

A group of volunteer faculty will be asked to put together care packages and deliver them either at work or home to the residents. The volunteers can be sought by either the resident who is ill or someone else.

Supplies will be available for assembling care packages in the surgery offices. These will include tissues, cough drops, ibuprofen, Gatorade, etc., and will be restocked as needed. Between three and 10 volunteer faculty members are needed.

For more information, contact Sara Hennessy, M.D., or surgery resident Erika Bisgaard, M.D.