Live Well and Thrive

Today I have the special privilege of speaking with two of our KP Northern California Extraordinary Nurses: Rachel Wyatt and Bernice Yale. They have both been recognized with 2024 Extraordinary Nurse Leader of the Year awards. I’m delighted to have them with me today to learn about their “North Stars” or their “why,” and how having a strong sense of purpose keeps them centered in both their professional nursing practice and personal growth.

If you have been listening regularly, this year, we’ve been on a bit of a journey together, where we’re exploring happiness and mental well-being from a number of vantage points. Today we’ll continue this journey exploring how volunteerism, something we can do individually and as organized groups, can help add significantly to our sense of well-being. To discuss this important topic is Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Science Director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley and Lanie Tranchina, Staff Nurse, KP South Sacramento Medical Center.A note for our listeners: April is U.S. National Volunteer Month. Visit KPCares.org today for an easy way to find, share, and participate in volunteer activities in the communities where you work and live. And thank you for giving back!To learn more about the Greater Good Science Center and view their free online, self paced courses and events please visit: https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/what_we_do/events

A warning to podcast listeners: This episode contains discussion of severe depression and suicide which some people may find triggering or disturbing. Remember, for anyone having thoughts about self-harm or suicide, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline immediately for help. While thoughts of Spring often bring to mind longer days, warm sunshine, and blooming flowers, seasonal depression is also a very real part of the change in season for many of us. Today we’re here to talk about the realities of Spring depression and explore its causes and triggers. We are joined by Supria Gill, PhD, Behavioral Medicine Psychologist, Vacaville Medical Center and Assistant Director, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Mental Health Training Program and Counseling Centers.Resource links:Calm (calm.com): The number one app for sleep and meditation — designed to help lower stress, anxiety, and more.Headspace Care (headspace.com): Text one-on-one with an emotional support coach anytime, anywhere. Support is just a text message away. myStrength (https://mystrength.com/): Build a personalized plan to strengthen your emotional health whenever, wherever you need to.

Welcome to “Live Well and Thrive,” a podcast recognizing the hard work, dedication, and diversity of our team at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. While happiness is a seemingly simple concept, personal well-being and contentment takes different shapes and forms for each of us – so not always so straight forward, yet an important topic to explore as we look to support each other’s well-being and life journeys. Today we are joined by Demond Hill, a PhD candidate in the Department of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley to discuss black joy and happiness – and his research behind mental health and emotional well-being of Black youth, their families, and communities. As always, I invite you to share what’s on your mind, ask a question or suggest a topic or guest. Send it to LiveWell&Thrive@kp.org. And whether you’re listening on your commute or during a down moment, keep those comments coming.

Welcome to “Live Well and Thrive,” a podcast recognizing the hard work, dedication, and diversity of our team at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Grief binds us together as human beings; it’s something we all experience, and, in healthcare, encounter both professionally and personally in the work we do to serve others. Unfortunately, left unacknowledged and unsupported, grief can lead to addiction, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and poor physical and mental health. Today I’m happy to be joined by Leah Hellerstein, LCSW, MPH Hospice Social Services Manager, Volunteer and Bereavement Services Coordinator and Carley Rencher Chen, LCSW, Hospice Social Worker for a conversation on grief. They will help us unpack what grief is and why it is important to acknowledge. They’ll also give us a better understanding of the grieving process and how it can help a person’s well-being. Additionally, we’ll learn about the valuable Kaiser Permanente resources available to help support our team when it comes to managing and overcoming grief.See the important work of our guests below:https://hospice-ncal.kaiserpermanente.org/support/after-your-loss/sf/Kaiser Permanente NorCal Hospice: DROP-IN ONLINE GRIEF SUPPORT SERIESJanuary – April 2024All Classes offered at No ChargeOpen to Kaiser Permanente Members and the Community at LargeSponsored by Kaiser Permanente Hospices of Northern CATHURSDAYS AT 12:00-1:00TWO WAYS TO PARTICIPATE- Links for both shared in weekly invites, No RSVP needed, may join either group when desired.OPTION 1: Educational Information, optional sharing in the chatOPTION 2: Small group discussion and sharing on the same topicFor Questions or Invitation to the Teams Meetings, Contact:Jessica Lawrence: 925-229-7817 or jessica.m.lawrence@kp.orgRina Breakstone: 510-752-4076 or rina.x.breakstone@kp.orgCarley Rencher Chen: carley.r.chen@kp.orgLeigh-Ann Santillanes-Delgado at: leigh-ann.x.santillanes-delgado@kp.orgAttend one or more- as desired- NO registration needed.Bereavement Support Education Groups are held both online by video or call in, and in person. To register for any of these groups, or for further information about Kaiser Permanente Bereavement Services, please email sfobereavement@kp.org or call (415) 833-3173.

Welcome to “Live Well and Thrive,” a podcast recognizing the hard work, dedication, and diversity of our team at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. I’m your host Carrie Owen Plietz. Today we’re here to learn about self-compassion or the art of being kind to ourselves. This episode focuses on being more gracious to ourselves as we go about our daily lives. I have been thinking about this concept a lot and I was struck by a recent article in the Washington Post by Christopher W.T. Miller, MD. His article emphasizes cultivating self-compassion as a key mental health goal. I’m delighted to have the article’s author with us on Live Well & Thrive. Christopher W.T. Miller, MD, is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst practicing at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. As always, I invite you to share what’s on your mind, ask a question or suggest a topic or guest. Send it to LiveWell&Thrive@kp.org. And whether you’re listening on your commute or during a down moment, keep those comments coming.

Welcome to “Live Well and Thrive,” a podcast recognizing the hard work, dedication, and diversity of our team at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. I’m your host Carrie Owen Plietz. I challenge all of our listeners to consider how bringing a little “blue sky” thinking can help you to thrive – both inside and outside of work.  Thinking differently can be hard though…it’s challenging to break out of routines and look at our work and the world with fresh eyes. Today we’re here to learn about a concept called “Blue Sky Thinking,” what it is, how it works, and how you can apply it with your team. Our guest is KP’s own, Gayle Chin, Creative Director for the Northern California Multimedia Communications Group. As always, I invite you to share what’s on your mind, ask a question or suggest a topic or guest. Send it to LiveWell&Thrive@kp.org. And whether you’re listening on your commute or during a down moment, keep those comments coming.

Welcome to “Live Well and Thrive,” a podcast recognizing the hard work, dedication, and diversity of our team at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. I’m your host Carrie Owen Plietz. Today were going to turn the tables on me, which means I’ll be the person who’s being interviewed. With me here today to play host – or ask the questions - is Pamela Spain, Care Experience leader, KP South Sacramento medical center. As always, I invite you to share what’s on your mind, ask a question or suggest a topic or guest. Send it to LiveWell&Thrive@kp.org. And whether you’re listening on your commute or during a down moment, keep those comments coming.

Welcome to “Live Well and Thrive,” a podcast recognizing the hard work, dedication, and diversity of our team at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Today we’re here to record our last episode of 2023. We have an incredibly special guest, Dr. Miroslav Volf, a Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology, and Founding Director, Yale Center for Faith & Culture. We’re here to talk about Dr. Volf’s new book A Life Worth Living, and how we can distill some of the key wisdom from his book for our day-to-day lives. As always, I invite you to share what’s on your mind, ask a question or suggest a topic or guest. Send it to LiveWell&Thrive@kp.org. And whether you’re listening on your commute or during a down moment, keep those comments coming.