Wellness Programs

New England Baptist Hospital formed a Wellness Committee in April 2008 which provides the framework in which staff can achieve optimal well-being by educating employees on wellness issues and providing resources that promote healthy lifestyles. The Committee is a cross functional team representing over 15 departments across the organization and meets monthly. The Hospital does not have an annual budget for our Wellness Program and yet we have offered an array of wellness programs to our employees at no charge.

Here are some examples:

1. We began a partnership this year with Brown University’s Working on Wellness Program (WOW), a research program that randomly selects Hospital staff to participate in the program which provides a series of wellness events and surveys employee progress throughout the program and measures the overall impact of wellness events in the workplace. Programs and activities include topics such as stress management, personal safety, self-care, nutrition, physical activity, and weight management.

2. New England Baptist Hospital received the "Gold Level" recognition by the American Heart Association as a Start! Fit Friendly Employer. This is for companies that fulfill criteria such as offering employees physical activity support, increasing healthy eating options at work and promoting a wellness culture. Our "Take the Stairs" Walking Campaign was one creative way in which we encouraged physical activity.

3. We will be inviting our employees to participate in "Shape Up The Nation" which is a fun, 10-week, team-based fitness, pedometer steps and/or weight loss competition for employees. It is designed for employees at all fitness levels and those who participate will be given tools and resources to set goals and track progress.

We are always on the lookout for new wellness program ideas. Do you have any? Have you experienced the benefits of any of the above programs or any others offered elsewhere? I’d appreciate your thoughts.

"Human Resources and Service Excellence"

I am responsible for both human resources and service excellence at New England Baptist Hospital. In these tough economic times we continually hear of the challenges organizations face and difficult decisions which have significant impact on dollars available to spend on key HR programs. NEBH is not immune from making changes to our HR programs in this current environment. This past week, senior management began communicating these changes to our workforce through various employee forums. The reaction has been remarkably positive and supportive. We have been thanked by our staff and felt a true esprit de corps throughout the Hospital. Staff is staying focused on our mission - the care and comfort of our patients.

Through these challenging times, our greatest asset, our employees, have done what they always do, pull together as a team and rally around this organization’s success. As an HR professional, I am proud to be part of an organization that truly values the contributions of its employees; employees demonstrate such an extraordinary commitment to our patients and to each other. I would be interested in hearing about best (or maybe worst) practices that others are experiencing. How is the economy impacting your organization? What are you seeing and hearing? What do you wish you could do differently? What are you proud of? I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas.