October 20, 2026
When health-care workers spend their days supporting others, it can be difficult to prioritize their own well-being.
Staff and physicians at St. Boniface Hospital now have a dedicated place to rest, recharge, and refocus in a new Staff Wellness Centre, which opened in August and was made possible through generous donor support.
Designed with staff well-being in mind, the 1,250-squarefoot centre provides a quiet, restorative environment where employees can take a break during or after their shifts.
The project was inspired by feedback from staff who identified the need for a dedicated wellness space through the Hospital’s Staff Health & Wellness Survey and Ideas Competition in 2022.
For some staff, it can be hard to find a private place to take a break,” said Alicia Ali, Workplace Wellness Consultant at St. Boniface Hospital. “We heard from people who wanted somewhere they could step away, decompress, and return to work feeling recharged.”
The centre is open to staff by appointment 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and features a variety of wellness amenities, including massage chairs, reclining rest pods, treatment tables for services such as reflexology and Healing Touch student massage therapy, and a SOQI wellness bed.
Alicia Ali, Workplace Wellness Consultant
The SOQI bed features three arched panels that emit gentle far-infrared heat and a soothing rocking motion designed to promote relaxation and stress relief.
For Ali, the project has been years in the making, even before the staff survey results showed the need. Drawing on her experience with a similar wellness centre at another hospital, she worked alongside staff and Hospital leadership to bring the idea to St B.
“I want people to feel cared-for when they walk in,” she said. “That their organization values their well-being, wants them to take a break, and supports both their mental and physical health.”