Hospitals lauded for employee wellness programs
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Delorice Hatten, Lael Pinkston, Diana Jones and Margaret Fulcher take a break to walk at work.
Two metro-area hospitals have been recognized by the American Heart Association’s Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program for promoting physical activity and health in the workplace. Senior leadership at St. Dominic Health Services and Baptist Health Systems has taken steps to create a heart healthy environment for their employees.
“The staff and management of both of these organizations should be applauded,” said Kurt W. Metzner, CEO of Baptist Health Systems. “They have made big strides in an area critical to our state’s overall health. At Baptist, we have seen great changes and healthier employees, which is a win-win for the company and the employees. We want to encourage more companies in Mississippi to join us in becoming Fit-Friendly Companies”
Adult Americans spend the majority of their waking hours at work, many in sedentary careers — amplifying the risk for medical problems such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Obesity alone costs American businesses $12.7 billion in medical expenses and $225.8 billion in health-related productivity losses per year.
“Time constraints and job responsibilities are employees’ biggest obstacles to exercising. That’s why the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies program encourages employers to allow employees to walk while at work,” said Sister Mary Dorothea, president St. Dominic Health Services, “walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
Studies suggest that implementing a worksite physical activity program and promoting a culture of physical activity will help companies increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower turnover and reduce hard costs. Research shows that employers can save $16 for every $1 they spend on health and wellness.
Program participants implement various options to encourage physical activity, good nutrition and culture enhancements such as on-site walking routes, healthy food options in cafeterias and vending machines, annual employee health risk assessments and online tracking tools.
A special advertising section in the Oct. 27 issue of Forbes magazine will include a list of the 800 companies across the nation participating in Start!
Companies interested in joining the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program should contact the Metro Jackson American Heart Association office at (601) 321-1200 or visit www.americanheart.org/start to download an application.
