Recognizing the need to create spaces where teammates can recharge and relax, Atrium Health Floyd opened a Serenity Room this week at Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center.

The room offers a variety of items to help teammates take a relaxing timeout, including:

· Massage chair

· Sound machine

· Essential oils

· Chocolates and mints

· Ambient lighting

Prior to Thursday’s ribbon-cutting during Teammate Appreciation Week, Atrium Health Floyd already had opened six other Serenity Rooms at other facilities. The effort to create the rooms began in September 2021 as teammates across the organization were busy providing care for COVID-19 patients.

Dr. P.J. Lynn, medical director at Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center, spoke during the event. Lynn has been an advocate of the Serenity Room and said he recognized the need for this apce as a way to prevent burnout among clinicians and other teammates.

Some comments left by teammates at other locations indicate the rooms are both effective and popular. They range from “Much needed, please NEVER take this room away,” to “I feel so relaxed and appreciated.”

Cindy Vice, program manager of Employee Wellness for Atrium Health Floyd, said the Serenity Rooms fill an important need.

“It’s important that our teammates can find a place for a quick, 10-minute break during the day where they can recharge,” Vice said. “The initiative lines up with our overall mission at Atrium Health: ‘To improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all.’”