Promoting wellness throughout the School of Nursing
As a Wellness Co-Champion in the School of Nursing (SON) with Dr. Cheryl Woods Giscombe, the Senior Associate Dean and Chief Wellness Officer, Vinisha Flavia Dsouza, a fourth-year Ph.D. student, achieved diamond status in the Wellness Champion program for her workplace wellness programs held throughout spring 2024. Together with the LeVine Inclusive Transition Team (LITT), she coordinated various inclusive wellness programs that support employees physical, social, and emotional health, further demonstrating SON goal to promote wellness as a fundamental aspect of life to help SON community members cope with everyday stresses and thrive!
Vinisha joined the LeVine Wellness team at UNC in the spring of 2022 and quickly signed up to serve as a Wellness Co-Champion for the SON in fall of 2022.
During Vinisha’s time as a Wellness Champion and with the LeVine Wellness Program, she worked to help expand efforts focused on bringing wellness into the SON by fostering spaces and events for the faculty to participate in both in-person and virtually.
The funds allocated to the LeVine Wellness Program by Mellissa and Harry LeVine have allowed the SON to create a dedicated wellness space for faculty, staff and students with wellness equipment and a space for meditation. As part of the groundbreaking remodel of Carrington Hall, the SON plans to expand the wellness space to be more welcoming and innovative, with an emphasis on promoting a culture of health within the workplace.
The LeVine Inclusive Transition Team (LITT), which utilizes additional funds provided by Dean Valerie Howard in the School of Nursing is used to support faculty, staff, and students during this transitional period. The LITT consists of 22 members, including Dr. Shielda Rodgers (the Associate Dean for Collective Well-Being), Yvonne Perry (the Levine Wellness Program Coordinator), Dr. Giscombe, Dean Howard, and Vinisha Flavia Dsouza, as well as additional faculty, staff and students who volunteer to lead 5–10-minute wellness moments at each monthly faculty meeting.
Last year, the Team organized various in-house and offsite wellness events which contributed to achieving diamond status in the Wellness Champion Program. In-house events included activities promoting fluid intake for heart health, fostering inclusive communication through inclusive syllabi, and educating about the health effects of microparticles and nanoparticles from plastics. Offsite wellness events included a visit to the Cat Café, an Escape Room at UNC, participation in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Holiday Parade, nature walks and a visit to the Farm at Penny Lane. Faculty and staff also participated in the Miles for Wellness physical activity challenge and the Total WellBeing Wellness Expo.