Wellness

Supporting the Whole Person

When it comes to the wellness of our students, residents, fellows, or faculty members, we have several resources available to help you manage your day-to-day demands, in all aspects of your life. Our goal is to promote a balanced lifestyle and overall wellness by advocating for you and providing you with the tools to reduce burnout, depression, and other stressors you may encounter.

We focus on the eight dimensions of well-being: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, physical, occupational, social, and spiritual.

 

If you or a colleague, student, or friend is in crisis, help is immediately available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), go to the Emergency Room, or call 911.

  • Albany Medical Center's Student & Resident Psychological Services:
    • We provide services including assessments, individual therapy, group therapy, couples therapy, and medication management. Students & residents are generally able to schedule appointments more quickly than they would in the community, and providers are familiar with the stressors of graduate-level education. All services are kept confidential, and records are kept separate from the rest of the Albany Med Health System, and only visible to providers in the department of Psychiatry. These services are free for students, and the balance after insurance is covered by the Student Grant.  Please note that house staff are responsible for the cost of services (meeting deductible, copay, etc.).
    • To schedule an appointment, call 518-262-5511, or email [email protected], and identify yourself as a student or resident/fellow.
    • Director: Jeffrey Winseman, MD Clinical Psychologist: Robert Hubbell, PsyD.
  • Pet Therapy:
    • Albany Medical Center volunteer handlers will bring their sweet dogs to visit and sit with you.
    • For more information call Volunteer Services at 518-262-3491.
  • Support Our Staff (S.O.S):
    • This is a multidisciplinary group comprised of caring and experienced Albany Medical Center professionals from the nursing, pastoral care, human resources, social work, emergency management, ethics, psychiatry, volunteer and employee assistance departments.
    • Team members provide support, counseling and resources for any staff member when they, or their department, are experiencing emotional distress.
    • 518-262-3176
  • aptihealth:
    • Access to a state-of-the-art, virtual mental health care platform that provides the emotional and mental health care support you need.
    • aptihealth is a partnership between Albany Medical Center and CDPHP,
    • It's available to all Albany Med Health System employees and family members ages 12+ who are enrolled in the Albany Medical Center plan through CDPHP. Copays may apply for these services.
  • Capital EAP:
    • The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at Albany Medical Center is designed to encourage personal well-being and provide guidance to help achieve work-life balance
    • Provides employees and family members the opportunity to seek professional and confidential support, counseling, advice and referrals at no cost
    • Member services include solution-focused counseling, dietary therapy, legal and financial referrals, group smoking cessation, 24/7 crisis hotline access, leadership training and more
    • Counselors are available in person, by phone and online
    • 518-465-3813
  • Committee on Physician Health:
    • A division of the Medical Society of the State of New York
    • Provides non-disciplinary, confidential assistants to physicians, residents, medical students, and physician assistants who are experiencing problems from stress, difficulty adjusting, substance abuse, and other psychiatric problems.
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
    • Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI(6264) or text 62640
  • Recycling & Trash Receptacles
    • Thanks to student-run recycling committee TREES, there are recycling and trash receptacles readily available in the ME-lecture halls and the student lounge.
  • Local Farmer's Markets
    • Troy Farmer's Market: Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. near Monument Square & River St. in downtown Troy.  The market runs year-round, but moves indoors to the Troy Atrium in the winter.
    • Colonie Farmer's Market: Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at The Crossings parking lot in Loudonville.  The market runs from the end of May to the end of September.
    • Saratoga Farmer's Market: Wednesdays 3 - 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Saratoga Springs at High Rock Park, from May through October.  And Mondays 2 - 5 p.m. in Clifton Park at Shenendehowa United Methodist Church, from June through October.
  • Area Museums:
    • NY State Museum
    • Albany Institute of History & Art
    • Discover Albany's Visitor Center
  • Employee Assistance Program
    • Albany Medical Center partners with Capital EAP to offer employees and their family members a variety of services such as counseling, dietary therapy, financial referrals, smoking cessation, and more.
  • Disability Accommodations
    • We're dedicated to integrating individuals with disabilities academically, socially, and culturally. Students with disabilities, as defined by law, can apply for reasonable accommodations to help them succeed. We comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the New York State Human Rights Law to ensure necessary services and support for qualified individuals with disabilities.
    • Request Disability Accommodations: [email protected]
  • AMA Education Hub
    • AMA STEPS Forward: Collection of engaging and interactive educational toolkits to help improve your practice.
  • Schwartz Rounds
    • Offers a regularly scheduled time for students and employees to openly and honestly discuss the social and emotional issues of daily work.
    • Leaders in various fields, clinical and non-clinical, participate in the sessions which are held in a confidential and structured environment.
    • After listening to panelists' share their experiences, attendees are invited to share their own perspectives.
    • Held the second Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m.
    • Participants may join in-person in Huyck Auditorium or virtually.
  • Perks at Work
    • Albany Med Health System's Perks at Work is a discount program designed to help you find the perks that matter to you.
    • Perks at Work offers many health and wellness discounts and features, and has negotiated with thousands of merchants to offer value and a pricing advantage as part of a private network.
  • Albany Medical Center Pastoral Care
    • Supports and promotes spiritual health and wellness in mind, body, and spirit for everyone at Albany Medical Center - regardless of one's faith, background, or religious practice.
    • To request a chaplain, call 518-262-3176. 
      • Office hours: M - F 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
      • Main Office: TS 201, Drop-In Office: F 129
      • The Marcelle Chapel, D 1, is open 24 hours for quiet reflection and prayer.
    • For immediate Pastoral Care needs, or to reach the chaplain on call, call 518-262-3111.
  • There are several churches, mosques, synagogues, and other houses of worship across the Capital Region.

Wellness Committees

The Student Wellness Committee is a student-driven committee consisting of representatives from all programs and class years. The Wellness Committee focuses on creating a culture that values the well-being of its students and creating an environment that is able to do so. The committee plans campus programming and spearheads institutional initiatives.

The Resident Wellness Committee works to establish interventions to support the well-being of postgraduate learners across training programs at Albany Medical Center. The Committee is comprised of house staff and attendings from various specialties, as well as members from Graduate Medical Education. The Committee meets monthly and focus both on personal health and resilience interventions and structural or institutional interventions.

Contact Us

Student affairs and GME have open-door policies and are always able to address concerns.

Dhru Desai, PhD
Assistant Dean for Wellness
[email protected]

Student Affairs (medical & graduate students)
518-262-6354
Commons, ME-7

Monica Minor
Director of Student Affairs & Wellness
[email protected]
518-262-6354

Students can use the Concern Submission Reporting Tool to make confidential reports to administration about issues that may arise in training or on campus. These issues may include specific episodes of abuse or maltreatment, or broader cultural issues.

We also recognize exemplary behavior. You may use the Accolades Submission Page to recognize a colleague’s positive and professional behavior.

GME (residents & fellows)
518-262-3593
Graduate Medical Education, R-1

Heidi Blackwell
Director of Resident Wellness
[email protected]

Residents and fellows can confidentially report concerns related to the learning and working environment with the GME Concern Reporting Tool or recognize exemplary behavior by using the GME Accolades Reporting Tool.