Mercy receives national Well Workplace Gold Award for quality and excellence in worksite health promotion
Mercy Medical Center is one of just eight organizations nationwide recognized by the Wellness Council of America with the Well Workplace Gold Award in 2014. The national award is given to organizations that effectively develop initiatives and comprehensive programs that maximize the health and well-being of employees.
As a healthcare organization, Mercy’s innovative approach to helping employees model healthy lifestyles contributed to this recognition. Mercy’s comprehensive wellness program for employees, called the Wellness Challenge, includes annual biometric screenings and health assessments, incentives for completing preventive exams, activities to encourage exercise, and education on healthy eating. Mercy’s on-site café aligns with these efforts, offering a wide variety of healthful meal choices and a growing menu of locally grown foods.
This past year, employees who successfully completed the Wellness Challenge received a discount on their insurance premiums. As an organization, Mercy’s financial health has benefitted through savings on its per employee per month costs. Some of the factors contributing to that improvement include fewer visits to the ER, improved employee productivity and retention rates, and employees using fewer sick days.
The Well Workplace Gold Award is presented to organizations that have excelled in developing and implementing a wellness initiative within the context of seven critical benchmarks, shown to produce results in organizations of all sizes and industry types. The seven benchmarks include:
- Capturing CEO support
- Creating cohesive wellness teams
- Collecting data to drive health efforts
- Carefully crafting an operating plan
- Choosing appropriate interventions
- Creating a supportive environment
- Carefully evaluating outcomes
For Gold Award winners, the initiatives reflected in these benchmarks are a strategic and integral part of business.
In recognition of its exemplary and evidence-based wellness initiatives, Mercy was also recently named a Blue Zones Worksite®. Organizations achieving this designation have succeeded in creating a work atmosphere that inspires, encourages, and promotes well-being in the workplace and the community through evidence-based practices.
Additionally, through MercyCare Business Health Solutions, Mercy is able to apply its experience in creating a culture of wellness to other businesses seeking a healthier workforce and lower healthcare costs. It offers a range of services from consultation on plan design, targeted programs and technology to help businesses achieve similar results to Mercy.
For more information about health services and/or wellness programing, call MercyCare Business Health Solutions at (319) 369-4455.
