GROUNDSWELL

Supporting oncology workers by turning grief and burnout into shared understanding

What We Learned

At UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital’s oncology units, healthcare workers face constant death, grief, and emotional fatigue yet formal support systems remain lacking. Our field research revealed that the emotional toll of care work is cumulative and often unspoken. Staff need simple, accessible ways to reflect, connect, and reset.

What We Created

Groundswell is a 12-month grant-funded pilot supporting UPMC Magee-Womens Cancer Services staff. We designed and implemented a four-part service system focusing on measurable impact. My role focused on prototyping, iterating, and refining these touch points based on user testing and stakeholder feedback.

PROBLEM SPACE

Oncology healthcare workers face ongoing emotional strain with limited formal support systems

Shadowing and three participatory workshops revealed that while staff are deeply committed to their patients, they report emotional numbness, exhaustion, and under-recognized informal coping practices.

The key themes we found in our research were:


Staff benefit most from acknowledgment and permission to process their emotions.

Effective support involves time, dedicated spaces for grief, improved communication, and peer discussions.

The key themes we found in our research were:

Staff benefit most from acknowledgment and permission to process their emotions.

Effective support involves time, dedicated spaces for grief, improved communication, and peer discussions.

With this, we asked:

How might we support oncology staff in acknowledging grief within the everyday realities of care work?

SOLUTION

Groundswell is a four-point system that both acknowledges grief and cultivates a culture of care

The four-point system is designed within the constraints of grant budget, strict timeline, physical space of the hospital, and administrative workflows.

DESIGN CONSTRAINTS

Designing the pod to be a place of sacredness within hospital constraints

The main constraint from hospital administration was ensuring the Pod would be well used. The challenge was keeping it intentional; a sacred space reserved for oncology staff, dedicated to restoration and reflection.

Based on this, we tailored our design question to be:

How might we create a dedicated space that oncology staff will genuinely use while protecting its sacred, restorative purpose?

Constraint 1: Hospital administration wanted to ensure the Pod remained intentional, not just another lounge.

We crafted a custom facade added it to a donated Nook Pod, incorporating coded door-entry to signal that the space is sacred and reserved exclusively for Women's Cancer Services staff.

We provided mindfulness activities (finger labyrinths, reflection cards, QR code for calming music/meditations). These reinforced restoration and intentionally limited alternative uses (e.g., laptops, eating). An hourglass timer and soft lighting gently signaled time without stress.

Constraint 2: Play testing showed staff worried about “doing it wrong.”

Several participants were not sure where to start. They felt anxious, because they wanted to use the pod correctly. Adding instructions and softening the copy reduced these feelings.

IMPACT

Stay tuned for further updates on our launch date in October 2025

Groundswell received a grant from UPMC to extend into a 12-month research study. We’re now gathering insights to evaluate its impact within Women’s Cancer Services. We are measuring:

  • Pod usage tracked through a Density radar device

  • Pre- and post-surveys with staff

  • Qualitative interviews to capture personal experiences

Reflections

This project taught me to let real needs, not assumptions, guide the design. Listening to staff shifted my focus from what I thought would help to what actually supported their daily work. 

Having previously worked in healthcare, I had personally experienced the same emotional fatigue and grief. This connection made the work deeply rewarding and helped me communicate with staff more empathetically, building trust and understanding as we co-designed solutions.

I learned the importance of moving quickly and letting go of perfectionism, designing within real budgets, time constraints, and operational workflows. Cross-functional collaboration was critical. I had to understand the language of administrators, clinicians, and industrial designers, and translate design concepts in ways that resonated with each stakeholder.


This project was made possible through the support of many individuals.

Special thanks to Kristin Hughes, my mentor throughout the project, and to Lorin Anderberg, my collaborator and partner in bringing this project into UPMC. I am also grateful to Robertus Sucahyo and Kelly McDowell for their support in the early stages.

Groundswell would not exist without the voices of UPMC Magee Women’s Cancer Services. Thank you to Dr. Sarah Taylor, Dr. Grace Campbell, Dr. Heidi Donovan, Kendyll Grant, and all staff I had the opportunity to shadow, interview, or speak with. Thanks also to UPMC Facilities for assisting with Pod installation.

We are grateful to Maggie Breslin (Patient Revolution), Stephanie Ciranni (CancerBridges), Dr. Adam Cowart, Pete Wendel, Christina Worsing, Craig Vogel, and Dr. Jenny Yu and Dria Barnes (Sixth House Advisory for Project Design OS) for their insights and feedback in the project’s early stages.

Thank you to Greg Baltus for helping design and fabricate the Pod, Ryan Thompson (Fox Tower Woodworks) for his work on the mindfulness board, and Mia Kong for support with the Pod’s technology and electronics.

Finally, sincere thanks to everyone who participated in play testing and made this project possible.