CHAS Health: An Exemplar of Innovating Fun in the Workplace to Support Wellbeing

Kelley Charvet, Chief Administrative Officer, and Alyssa Egland, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, both from Community Health Association of Spokane (CHAS) Health, reflect on the organization’s growth since its inception in 1994 as a two exam room clinic in downtown Spokane through 2022, when employees rapidly mobilized to provide primary healthcare at its 20 locations around the Inland Northwest during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also spotlight ways in which CHAS Health supports employees’ mental, physical, professional, and personal wellbeing through its unique approach to building a community of fun within the workplace.

“Finding Joy: The Health Care Professional’s Journey to Well-being" is a podcast resource developed by a team of interprofessional education researchers from Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane. They’re promoting well-being among students, faculty, and healthcare professionals during challenging times. Funding is provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The Interprofessional Education Research team wishes to thank the following individuals for their invaluable contributions to this project:

• Dr. Barb Richardson, nurse, educator, and interprofessional champion;

• Cameron Cupp, creator of the “Finding Joy” musical score and current enrollee at WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine;

• Washington State University staff from Marketing and Communications, Financial Services, and the Collaboration for Interprofessional Health Education Research and Scholarship; and

• Claire Martin-Tellis, Executive Producer, and Solen Aref, student intern, who developed the first five episodes of the “Finding Joy” podcast.

This episode of “Finding Joy” was produced by Doug Nadvornick, Program Director, Spokane Public Radio.

If you would like to reach out, please contact our team by sending an email to: [e-mail] We also encourage you to visit our podcast blog as well as our team's website at: https://opioideducation.wsu.edu/about/.