Connect Live @ Adventist Health | September 9, 2021
Story 38

Joyce Newmyer:

Welcome to Connect Live at Adventist Health. I'm Joyce Newmyer, the Chief Culture Officer at Adventist Health and your host for Connect Live. This week we're talking about health, wholeness and hope. I'm excited to introduce you to our leadership and finance residents class of 2021. Then I'll be joined by John Beaman and Shelly Trumbo to talk about our Associate Well-Being initiative, and last, I'll tell you about an amazing story of healing and hope in the Mendocino Network. Now to introduce you to an amazing group of people. Last year we launched our first cohort of leadership and finance residents and they have just entered their second year in five different Adventist Health organizations. New residents have just begun their experience this year, and we've been recruiting from across the United States and we're building a new talent stream of future leaders for Adventist Health. So you're looking at the future of Adventist Health here. Residents are placed at Adventist Health in Portland, St. Helena, Sonora, Kern County, Central Valley Network, Glendale, Simi Valley and Roseville. Our appreciation goes out to Tim Olaore, the director of the program and an energetic, enthusiastic and fearless leader for these residents. I'm very happy to welcome our guests today, Chief People and Business Officer John Beeman and Well-Being Executive Shelly Trumbo. Welcome to both of you, friends, and thank you for joining me today to talk about well-being.

Shelly Trumbo:

Thank you, Joyce.

John Beaman:

Thanks, Joyce.

Joyce Newmyer:

John and Shelly, this is like a reunion for us. Right? Many of our viewers have seen the TikTok inspired video series that can be found on the story website. I'll remind you what that is, www.adventisthealth.org/story. So the three of us went way out of our comfort zones to play those characters. Right?

John Beaman:

Yep.

Joyce Newmyer:

Well, okay, John and I were out of our comfort zone. Shelly, you were born to be an actress in the tradition of Lucille Ball. Right?

John Beaman:

Well, I know I feel like I should apologize to both of you for my acting, but hopefully the people that watched them got the point and appreciated Shelly and Joyce.

Shelly Trumbo:

You were great John. I have to say, as a child there was a season where if somebody asks what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said Carol Burnett. So it's really cool that this job lets me have just a little taste of that.

Joyce Newmyer:

Well, it was so much fun to spend that time with you guys doing those videos. Who knew that the three of us would be skydiving together right? Diffusing bombs and everything else.

Shelly Trumbo:

People would love to see the skydiving where they were blowing the leaf blower, like six inches from our face. A leaf blower that had been recently used to blow leaves and grass. So that was fun.

John Beaman:

Well and what's really amazing is we did all that in like two days.

Shelly Trumbo:

Yes.

John Beaman:

So I mean, we saved the world multiple times all within a matter of hours. It's pretty impressive, really.

Joyce Newmyer:

Yeah. I was pretty impressed with us. I hope that people who haven't seen the videos will go to the story website and watch them, because they really are a lot of fun. So John you've talked before about how the people part of your job is your most favorite, the most inspiring. What message do you hope our associates receive as a result of what all we're doing with these well-being initiatives? What do you want them to know?

John Beaman:

Well, if you start with our mission statement it's all about love, and the reason the people part of my job inspires me is I get to see real people loving other real people every day and honestly it humbles me. It gives me a pause when I see how you care for each other and it calls me to do whatever I can, what we all can to help care for you. So when we bought Blue Zones and it brought these globally researched, worldwide best practices around well-being, it was like, well, why can't we start with our own people? That partnership with well-being is something that I and Shelly know. I mean, I actually asked to say, "Hey, how can I be involved with these great ideas?" Because I see Shelly and the whole team bringing wonderful thoughts that were really giving to us as associates to care for us so that we can be well and so that we can continue to care for others.

Joyce Newmyer:

Thanks, John. Shelly, you're such a natural in front of the camera, we just talked about that. But it's also that your passion comes through loud and clear. I know that you're very passionate about the well-being initiatives for our associates and yet COVIDs interrupted this. Right? People are busy saving lives. So how is the associate well-being rollout going?

Shelly Trumbo:

You know Joyce, you're right. We are so excited to bring the campus certifications to our communities and we have adjusted the timeline. We want to be sensitive and thoughtful of what makes sense. But at the same time, we've also been intentional providing tools and resources that support well-being during this time. It's a challenging season and it's not a time to take the foot off the gas, if you will, in well-being resources. So whether it's our new wellness platform with Sharecare, an easy way to check in on your physical health with your at-home biometric screenings, an opportunity for emotional support with SyncTalk or providing resilience training for teams, we want to be there and do that. We didn't plan on being a resilience resource in this way, but we're ready for it and we're stepping up. We want people to know that we're here for them. We're deeply grateful for how they're stepping up every single day in a million different ways. We're excited about the first wave of campuses that are launching the Blue Zones certification and that is coming just at an adjusted timeline.

Joyce Newmyer:

Thanks, Shelly. It is a time to practice radical self-care while people are caring for others. Right? So John, what is one thing that you wish associates knew about your personal commitment to their well-being and their resilience? I know people think of you as a business guy, but those of us who know you well know that you're really a people guy. What's something that maybe you think about a lot and they may not know that you do? John, we have you on mute. There you go.

John Beaman:

Well, I'm back. One thing that's often on my mind is, it's a choice for all of us to participate, to do the activities that lead to better well-being. It's something that I have to intentionally think about every day about myself. So one thing that I want everybody to know is, I understand that sometimes in great intent we have a lot of solutions that can help us. I would love feedback and dialogue and just engagement around how do we best make sure that we're providing them in a way that you can actually take advantage of. Because this is purely for each one of us to improve our well-being, to grow as people. But they're honestly not going to hit the mark if we don't have the ability to engage with them. So that's what I want to know, it's on my heart a lot, just want to make sure we hit the mark and do it in a way that each one of you can participate in, because they're there for us. Again, it's an awesome thing that we're doing and we want to make sure we have the chance to use them.

Joyce Newmyer:

Thanks, John. So we all know that Blue Zones, the research that originally led to the original Blue Zone identifications found that there were some things in common amongst those who are living the happiest and healthiest lives. They call it the Power Nine. Right? Nine principles. Shelly, do you have a favorite Blue Zone principle from that Power Nine?

Shelly Trumbo:

That is tough. Luckily I knew you might ask me that question, Joyce, so I did think ahead. The Power Nine principles, I'm not sure if everybody knows it's actually subdivided into four categories. So, there's principles that focus on healthy natural physical movement, connection and belonging, eating wisely and right outlook. Which includes purpose and downshifting and I think the right outlet category is my favorite. So having that consistent pattern of downshifting on the weekends, honoring that Sabbath and even downshifting at the end of a workday. Having practices in the morning around prayer, gratitude, whatever that means for you, that works for you. Having those consistent practices and then purpose. Some experts say that the most important well-being Power Nine principle is purpose. Having a reason to get up in the morning, finding meaning in your work. So that has to be my favorite category.

Joyce Newmyer:

I love that. John, same question. What's your favorite of the Power Nine?

John Beaman:

Oh yes. So Shelly took a couple of them there very well. My favorite is family first. Man, I just think about how much the people closest to us mean to us and the fact that it's almost impossible for any one of us to be well without the ones we care about the most being well. If you're like me, I mean it's a back and forth. It's part of a whole picture of us and our families. So to me that's the most important one in my mind, the one that I love the most and the one that gets me up in the morning and thinking about how can I extend everything we're doing to my family and make sure we're all engaged together.

Joyce Newmyer:

John, those of us who know you well are not surprised that, that's your favorite. We know that you adore your family and I respect that so much about you. So thank you to both of you for joining me today. Who knows, maybe we'll have an opportunity to film again in the future, that would be my privilege.

Shelly Trumbo:

Yes.

John Beaman:

Same here.

Shelly Trumbo:

That was my favorite “other duties as assigned” ever.

Joyce Newmyer:

Thanks again for being here. Take care.

Shelly Trumbo:

Thanks, Joyce.

John Beaman:

Thanks, Joyce.

Joyce Newmyer:

So our last story today is about a coach who's bringing hope. It's a program that is changing lives in California and one person who has been there from the beginning, Mary Anne Gould started a new career two and a half years ago at Adventist Health as a substance use navigator. Now she oversees the California Bridge program at Adventist Health’s hospitals in Mendocino County. It's a unique approach to caring for people who are challenged with substance use and need hope for renewed health and wholeness. I encourage you to read more about this inspiring work and the heart behind it  at adventisthealth.org/story. There you'll find many stories of health, wholeness and hope and I hope this blesses you as you see how Adventist Health is living God's love. Friends, thank you for connecting live. We'll see you here next week at the same day in time and until then, let's be a force for good