Adventist Health Castle | Windward Health | Summer 2020

Associate Wellbein Open 24/7 Red Umbrella Chapel CARING BY MELE POCHEREVA FROM THE DAY WE OPENED OUR DOORS in 1963, Adventist Health Castle has remained committed to providing innovative health care to meet the needs of our Windward O‘ahu communities while also caring for our patients’ physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. We are proud of Castle’s 1,000-plus associates, whose courage, compassion and personal sacrifices have embodied our mission during these extraordinary and challenging times. Adventist Health Castle also is grateful for the generosity of dozens of businesses and nonprofits that have partnered with us in support of our communities, inside and out. COVID-19 Rx: A weekly dose of appreciation In early March, several AH Castle associates looked for ways to ease the strain the pandemic would put on their colleagues’ health and well-being. Kylee Chan, in Administration; Richard Kirchner, director of Facilities; Tracie Ann Tjapkes, director of Wellness & Lifestyle Medicine; Jessie Seibel, director of Mission Integration and Spiritual Care; and Senior Chaplain Sara-May Colón came up with a plan: •  Surprise Castle associates each week with a special treat. •  Designate “well-being” spaces on the hospital campus. “We wanted to show appreciation to our associates for stepping up in these stressful times,” Tracie Ann explains. The team knew they would need the help of the medical center’s community partners. Through the MyKailua social media site, Sara-May reached out to Windward businesses for donations, and Tracie Ann secured donations through her personal and community connections. The Associate Appreciation program was launched on March 25, when associates on the main campus received boxes of apples, clementines, “bananagrams,” tea and encouraging words. Similar deliveries were made to Castle’s primary care clinics in Kailua, Kaneohe and L ā ‘ie. Associates were surprised and touched that they were recognized for what many felt was just part of their job. These special deliveries are planned to continue through the pandemic, reaching some 300 associates each delivery day. Some of the most popular gifts have been handmade cloth face masks, as well as pizza, bento lunches, hand sanitizer, essential oils and swag bags filled with community donations. Encouraging resiliency: Well-being spaces Part 2 of the Associate Appreciation program entailed revisiting the idea of associate well-being spaces, which had been an idea floating around even before the coronavirus crisis. “We wanted to encourage resiliency by reminding people to take care of themselves as well as their patients,” says Tracie Ann. With a thumbs-up from Castle’s administration and the COVID-19 Incident Command team, four spaces have been designated on the medical center’s campus for associates to relax and rejuvenate. These spaces are available 24/7. Within the hospital, the chapel and the volunteer lounge provide quiet sanctuaries and seating to allow for social distancing. Outdoors, associates can enjoy the garden setting of the Dr. Hiroji Noguchi Pavilion or the new patio table and chairs beneath a large red umbrella near the gift shop. Associates are encouraged to use these spaces for short breaks, a lunch spot, or a place to begin or end their day. The unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across all sectors of the community have provided daily reminders of Adventist Health Castle’s mission: Living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope— E ola mau ke Aloha o ke Akua i ke olakino, I ka pono iho, a e ka mana‘olana . for our communities, inside and out WINDWARD HEALTH | 3