Developing a model for institutional wellbeing and resiliency: The Wellbeing Enhancement & Resiliency Committee (WERC) at the John A. Burns School of Medicine

Abstract

Well-being initiatives provide a mechanism to align the external mission of promoting community health with the internal cultivation of well-being among faculty, staff, and learners. The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) is committed to excellence and leadership, prioritizing well-being as fundamental to its mission of serving Hawaiʻi. The Wellbeing Enhancement & Resiliency Committee (WERC) was created as a multidisciplinary advisory board focused on institutional wellbeing. WERC is composed of four subcommittees that target critical areas: 1) Evaluation: Measure institutional well-being. Develop metrics and collect and analyze data for continuous program assessment to improve initiatives, 2) Emotional & Mental Health: Promotion of mental health and psychological safety, advocating for positive change, 3) Curriculum: Develop educational content focused on well-being, deliver training programs that create inclusive and participatory environments, and utilize data and educational technology to inform curriculum improvements, and 4) Program and Events: Organizes community-building activities to enhance the work and learning environment. This integrated structure is an innovation for medical schools, moving beyond siloed wellness activities toward a sustained, evidence-based instructional framework.