Research Faculty Member, Dr. Jennifer Simkin, Promoted to Well-Being Officer (WO); Joins LSU Orthopaedic Leadership Team

 

"We are pleased to welcome, Dr. Jennifer Simkin, into this new role. She is the perfect fit and she possesses the necessary experience to provide exceptional support to all staff, faculty, trainees, and students," says Dr. Robert Zura, Department Head. 

 

Dr. Simkin is highly regarded for her contributions in the resaerch department. In her new capacity as Well-Being Officer (WO), Dr. Simkin aims to serve the department to support the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of students, faculty, staff, and immediate family members in order to promote the overall health and effectiveness of the department and the LSUHSC-NO community. She will develop and implement strategic initiatives to address wellbeing specific to the orthopaedic environment. Dr. Simkin will work closely with LSU partner hospitals to identify opportunities for learners and providers.

Her areas of focus in a fast-paced surgical environment will include, but are not limited to: burnout, dependency, sleep, and duty hours. She will leverage the services provided by the Campus Assistance Program at LSU Health New Orleans, and manage an annual budget to promote a healthy learning environment, stress reduction, and personal well-being among faculty, staff, residents, and students in LSUHSC School of Medicine and the Health Sciences Center. 

 

"While not clinical, she is well versed in stressors present in the clinical learning environment and well versed in the resources available to our team including CAP. I know her learning curve will be steep in the next few months, but she will be excellent," says Dr. Zura.