Message from the Dean: Healthy Duke Week Activities

Faculty, Staff and Students,

Over the past year, we as a community have been discussing how to promote a better work-life balance. Our conversations coincided with larger discussions that began last April when Chancellor Gene Washington and Kyle Cavanaugh, Duke University’s vice president, Administration announced the Healthy Duke initiative.

Today, I am encouraging each of us to participate in a variety of activities as part of the formal launch of the Healthy Duke initiative with a special “Week of Wellness.”  As part of this program, there will be activities, resources and information available to faculty, staff and students that focus on various important aspects of personal wellness each day this week.  These topics include:

• Monday, September 11 – Mental and Emotional Wellbeing
• Tuesday, September 12 – Environment & Culture
• Wednesday, September 13 – Physical Activity & Movement
• Thursday, September 14 – Fulfillment & Purpose
• Friday, Food & Nutrition

An entire schedule of events can be found posted in the elevators here at DUSON as well as on the web and around campus.

As a school community, we are making a significant commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle for each of us here at DUSON.  Our recent announcement of the creation of a Wellness Coordinator for the School, as well as formalizing our expectations for managing communications after hours to allow more time for family and friends, are just two examples of this commitment.

Beyond actions however, our commitment is lived out by our people.  I would like to thank the following individuals who are involved with this week’s Health Duke program.  They are:  Danette Cantey, Helen Gordon, Nancy Foskey, Remi Henkel, Kathryn Kreider, Najla McClain, Margie Malloy, Laverne Lewis Myers, Jessica Almy Pagan, Kathy Pereira, Valerie Sabol, Will Falls, and Paula Tanabe.

We know that living a healthy lifestyle involves using the resources and information we have to make good choices.  The Health Duke initiative is a major effort to help each of us find our paths towards a healthier and happier life here at Duke.

Sincerely

Marion E. Broome, PhD, RN, FAAN Dean and Vice-Chancellor for Nursing Affairs, School of Nursing, Duke University Associate Vice-President for Academic Nursing, Duke University Health System