The New York cohort of members who took part in the Union-led Member Leadership Development Program identified a need to address the ongoing effects of stress that many healthcare professionals are still experiencing as a result of the pandemic.

“Like so many others, I suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from that time,” recalls Nicole Frith, an 1199 Delegate and LPN at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn. “So, we organized a workshop at the Union headquarters with yoga, breathing techniques and information about diet and exercise, as well as acupuncture, massage and counseling that our health plan provides.”

Anjelique Huerta, an 1199 Shift Supervisor and Delegate at the Rite Aid pharmacy in Astoria, Queens, agrees. “Members have had to deal with so much during the past few years, and it took a lot out of us. The goal of our workshop was to share the tools, so we could incorporate stress management into our daily lives.”