Anna Rizzotto - Wellness in the Workplace

In a world where high-tech competes with high-touch and survival depends on workers’ abilities to perform both equally well, the casualty is often employees’ health - particularly stress, depression, exhaustion and strained co-worker relationships. Traditionally, worksite wellness programs have focused on reducing risk factors for bio-medical illness. However, the most acute and relevant health issues tend to be psychosocial in nature. Kailo, a hospital-based employee wellness initiative, is a non-traditional worksite wellness initiative, long-recognized in the U.S. as one of the most innovative programs in the country. The Kailo Concept adopts a decidedly more psychosocial, and even spiritual framework to address the wellness needs of its staff. It maintains that relationships, self-esteem, purpose, meaning and fun are powerful determinants of health. Outcomes from the programs support the claim: they include high levels of participation and satisfaction; increases in EAP utilization; and improvements in perceived health.

Anna Rizzotto is the Kailo Coordinator at Halton Healthcare. Kailo is a hospital-based employee wellness program, developed at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in 1998 and replicated at Halton Health Care, Ontario in 2005. Long-recognized in the U.S. as one of the most innovative programs in the country, this non-traditional model adopts a decidedly more psychosocial, and even spiritual framework. It maintains that relationships, self-esteem, purpose, meaning and fun are powerful determinants of health. Anna has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector as both a clinician and an educator. She has developed and implemented programs on teamwork, communication skills, relationships, humour, stress management and a host of other issues related to staff development. She has also consulted with, coached and mentored both teams and individuals. Anna holds a Bachelor of Social Work from McMaster University and a Master of Adult Education from the University of Toronto. She has pursued studies of mind/body/spirit practices, including certification as a yoga teacher from the Kripalu Institute in Massachusetts and professional training as an instructor in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction from the Centre for Mindfulness, also in Massachusetts. Anna has recently completed her training in Reiki, an energy-based healing modality.