In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of healthcare professionals recognized a serious gap in the support available to frontline workers. Despite the best efforts of hospitals and healthcare institutions, many caregivers—especially those facing the daily challenges of trauma, medical emergencies, and burnout—were not receiving the help they truly needed.

Among those professionals was Karla Pérez-Solórzano, an experienced emergency medical technician at The University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS). She saw firsthand how deeply the physical and emotional toll of patient care affected her colleagues. “We were all feeling it—stress, burnout, exhaustion—and we realized we needed to create something that could refuel us,” Karla recalls.

Motivated by her passion for emergency medicine, stress management, and holistic care, Karla and her team launched the “Emergency Department Wellness Committee” to provide immediate relief to their staff. Their efforts included live streams such as “From Burnout to Breakthrough,” “Monday Motivation” posts on social media, and creative “Wellness Challenges.” They also introduced a “Wellness Cart,” which offered healthy snacks, motivational messages, and refreshments to staff. 

The team even secured sponsorships from their ER supervisor for gift cards for massages, floating experiences, and facials at local wellness centers. These efforts were impactful but limited. The reality was that these sponsored gifts only reached a handful of people, while the majority of staff continued to face significant stress and burnout.

It became clear that a one-size-fits-all approach was not enough. Frontline workers are unique individuals with diverse needs, and the existing support systems couldn’t fully meet those needs. Karla knew they had to do more and reach beyond the emergency department.

In response, Karla decided to take the initiative further by founding “Healing Heroic Healers (H3)” as a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2021. This decision allowed the mission to expand beyond the walls of The University of Kansas Health System and address the needs of healthcare workers across the entire Kansas City area.

Expanding Our Reach

With the generosity of startup and capacity-building funds from the “Health Forward Foundation,”Kansas Health Foundation,” and the “Kauffman Foundation,” Healing Heroic Healers officially launched its programs in Spring 2023. Drawing on the experience of the Emergency Department Wellness Committee, H3 began delivering wellness care packages, holistic services, and tailored programs to frontline healthcare workers. 

H3 also created the “Wellness Cohort Program”, targeting high-performing healthcare professionals to equip them with the tools they need to thrive. Additionally, H3 recognized the value of education, launching “Community CPR Classes” that will incorporate VR for immersive, hands-on training.

Despite these successes, the need remains vast. The efforts of the Wellness Committee showed how much difference could be made, but the resources only reached a limited number of staff. H3’s mission is to fill that gap and extend support to all frontline workers, knowing that a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t work. Every healthcare hero has unique needs, and we are committed to meeting those needs with personalized, holistic care.

A Future Dedicated to Wellness

Since its founding, Healing Heroic Healers has grown into a vibrant community of healthcare workers, partners, and supporters. While the journey began in one emergency department, today H3 is working to expand its reach across the Kansas City area, providing much-needed resources to all frontline caregivers. 

With continued support from donors, partners, and the healthcare community, H3 is dedicated to building a future where every healthcare hero has the wellness tools they need to heal, grow, and continue their essential work.

Healing Heroic Healers H3’s mission is to give back to frontline healthcare workers by providing direct access to natural and holistic care so that they can refresh, refuel, and rebalance.