Message from President DeGioia: GUWellness: Mind, Body, Soul

October 15, 2007

Dear Colleagues:

It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I announce the official kick-off GUWellness: Mind, Body, Soul. I believe that this inclusive wellness program for faculty and staff has the power to transform our work culture here at Georgetown University, bringing balance and well-being to our personal and professional lives.

Throughout the next month, there are a number of ways to get involved with GUWellness: attend one of the GUWellness Fairs; get your annual flu shot; and take advantage of free health screenings and health assessments. This is also the perfect time to take a more active role in shaping the future of this wellness program by signing up to serve as a GUWellness Captain. These are the community leaders of this program – promoting events and initiatives, creating departmental fitness challenges, and hosting monthly wellness clinics. Lastly, we hope you’ll find the new GUWellness website (http://wellness.georgetown.edu) to be a valuable tool and partner in realizing your wellness goals. The site is a work-in-progress, so you feedback and input will help it evolve in sync with the needs of our Georgetown community.

There are many tangible benefits associated with launching a wellness program for faculty and staff, including greater productivity, presenteeism and job satisfaction, not to mention lower medical cost for both employee and employer. The intangibles are equally important. By fostering an environment that supports employee engagement with wellness, and values it as an integral part of its culture, we are strengthening not only individuals, but our collective community.

GUWellness, and the programs, resources and opportunities that it represents, is for all of us united in serving the mission of Georgetown University. I look forward to seeing how this program will transform our community. Together, I feel certain, we will create a strong culture of wellness at Georgetown University.

Sincerely,
John J. DeGioia