Employee assistance program provides vital care for caregivers

Within our walls there is all of life—the good, sad, jubilant and extremely difficult. Our caregivers are there alongside our patients and their families through it all.

Because of this, we know it is vitally important to care for our caregivers by offering support for both their physical and mental health.

Mental health support program

Along with offering free family memberships to Capital City Health Club, our Employee Assistance Program is available to employees for free. The program helps connect employees to local counselors so they can get help for both professional and personal issues.

Counselor Charlotte Fuson, LCPC led the St. Peter’s Employee Assistance Program for over 30 years.

Charlotte provided a listening ear, support and tools to St. Peter’s employees. Whether an employee is having a difficult time with a colleague, a first responder witnessed a tragedy in the field or an employee is experiencing challenges at home, the Employee Assistance Program is available to provide the support they need.

Vice President of Human Resources Karla Smith encourages employees to take advantage of the benefit.

“The Employee Assistance Program not only assists our employees with professional issues they may be coping with, but the program also offers assistance related to personal issues that they or any household member of their family faces. Employees and their family members are offered four visits per issue at no cost.”

Ongoing support benefits

We recently celebrated Charlotte’s retirement from our Employee Assistance Program.

We appreciate her decades-long commitment to support the mental health of thousands of St. Peter’s employees. Although Charlotte has retired from the program, the program is still a cornerstone of the St. Peter’s Health benefits program.

Senior Nursing Director Kari Parmer, MSN, RN has worked at St. Peter’s for over 15 years. She has served as a labor and delivery nurse, created our breast cancer nurse navigation program and led the Cancer Treatment Center and Oncology teams.

“I have gratefully relied on our Employee Assistance Program to help groups of employees who have experienced difficult situations at work together,” Kari said. “It has been helpful to have a professional facilitate difficult and heartfelt discussions to help everyone feel validated and not alone during difficult times. It also opens the door for employees to seek individual help if they wish.”