Special to Iredell Free News
Iredell Health System recently received the Inspire Health Award for its high employee engagement in the Go365 Health Program, an employee wellness program sponsored by Humana.
Humana recognized the Health System for its commitment to building a culture of health and employee wellbeing. Alison Hernandez, a Go365 consumer engagement professional, presented the award to the Health System’s Wellness Team at the Inspire Health Award Champ Appreciation Luncheon held earlier this year.
“Hospitals and health systems can become role models for the patients they support by developing health and wellness programs to support their employees, and Iredell Health System is a leader in this industry,” said April Johnson, Iredell Health System’s benefits specialist.
Go365 offers a customizable experience enabling companies to help improve their employees’ health and wellness. One of just 20 organizations to receive the Inspire Health Award for 2019, Iredell Health System reached over 75 percent employee engagement in the program, with those employees reaching the program’s Silver status or higher.
“Our wellness team has shown that its strategic approach and successful implementation of the wellness program empowers employees to prioritize their health,” Johnson said.
To achieve the award, Iredell Health System developed a wellness team consisting of employees in various departments to promote Go365 companywide. The Health System held onsite screenings for employees and promoted healthy meals in its hospital cafeteria. The wellness team provided individual member support and established companywide walking clubs.
Team members promoted company-sponsored 5K events open to the local community, which gathered donations for local food drives and charities, including the Iredell Mammogram Fund, which provides mammogram screenings to women in need.
The wellness team had to overcome challenges in worksite wellness program participation specific to the healthcare industry, including high-pressure environments and difficulty accessing services amongst all employees.
Certificates of achievement were presented to wellness team members Amanda Downs, April Johnson, D’Asya Cooper, DeeDee Meadows, Elaine Hendershot, Marie Kochek, Pam Martin, Ranetta Scott, Ruth Lewis, Samantha Lemings, Scott Graham and Shelly Brown for playing crucial roles in the wellness program.
“Our vision of guiding our neighbors toward optimal health includes our own employees. We look forward to continuing to live our values which support our employees and those in the communities we serve,” Johnson said.
About Iredell Health System
Iredell Health System includes Iredell Memorial Hospital; Iredell Home Health; Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center; Community and Corporate Wellness; Occupational Medicine; the Iredell Physician Network and more. Iredell Memorial Hospital is the largest and only nonprofit hospital in Iredell County. The comprehensive healthcare facility has 247 beds; more than 1,700 employees; and has 260 physicians representing various specialties. Centers of excellence include Women’s and Children’s; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Surgical Services and Wellness & Prevention. The mission of Iredell Health System is to inspire wellbeing. For a comprehensive list of services and programs, visit www.iredellhealth.org