MGH Institute of Health Professions has joined an initiative launched by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Arianna Huffington’s behavior-change tech company Thrive Global to meet specific and emergent needs of health care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health and Wellness For All is an evidence-based digital behavior-change program intended to help health care workers adopt healthier habits to reduce stress and improve health and performance. To meet the specific and emergent needs of health workers on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis who are addressing a public health crisis of historic proportion, the Harvard Chan School will provide protocols tailored for the workforce.

“As an academic program preparing clinicians for the complexities and challenges of health care, it is essential we help our students develop self-care strategies,” said MGH Institute President Paula Milone-Nuzzo. “We need to educate caregivers to be prepared for an uncertain future, and being part of Health and Wellness for All will allow us to help our students address these challenges when they graduate.” 

The evidence-based digital behavior-change program will include online workshops, coaching, content—such as articles, emails, videos, and podcasts—and microsteps for small incremental changes public health workers can make to help navigate today’s challenging realities with less stress and more resilience. The programs will focus on ways to build a stronger immune system to improve mental and physical well-being, including a focus on sleep, naps, movement, nutrition, stress management, and relationships with colleagues, given the constraints of current conditions.

Other organizations participating in the pilot program are: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Commonwealth Care Alliance, Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, Elara Caring, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Health Law Advocates, Massachusetts AFL-CIO: (SEIU Local 509), Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, Massachusetts Health Council, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Massachusetts Medical Society, Massachusetts Senior Care Association, National Association of Social Workers-MA, Partners In Health, and The Schwartz Center.

“The well-being of physicians, nurses, community health workers, social workers, caregivers, and our frontline public health workforce is a critical starting point for population health around the world. That reality has come into stark relief in recent days, as the world mobilizes in response to COVID-19,” said Michelle Williams, dean of the faculty of the Chan School. “We believe it is the responsibility of the public health community to reduce the physical and emotional strain—and ensure the overall wellness of those working in the field, in clinics, and in international relief settings. As leaders in public health, it is our responsibility to find the solution for how we can better care for our caregivers.”

The Health and Wellness For All initiative’s first step has been to launch #FirstRespondersFirst, created to provide first-responder health care workers with physical and psychological resources they urgently need as they serve on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. This initiative includes the CAA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and also has the support of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders.