Premier Health Earns Healthy Worksite Gold Award

Premier Health Earns Healthy Worksite Gold Award
Healthy Business Council of Ohio Honors Employers for Healthy Practices
 
DAYTON, Ohio (January 25, 2019) – Premier Health has been recognized as the only Dayton-area healthcare employer to earn the Healthy Business Council of Ohio’s gold award for the organization’s healthy worksite practices. This award acknowledges Premier Health’s commitment to employee wellness through comprehensive worksite health promotion and wellness programs.
 
The Healthy Business Council of Ohio acknowledged 73 Ohio employers throughout the state with either a gold, silver, bronze or recognition award on January 24, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio, as part of the Health Action Council 2019 Columbus Symposium. Applicants were scored on the extent to which their wellness programs facilitate and encourage employee health, enhance productivity and ensure a healthy work environment.
 
“Premier Health has created a workplace culture where employee health and safety are valued, supported and promoted through workplace programs, policies, benefits and environmental supports,” stated Melinda Ruff, MD, chair of Premier Health’s employee wellness committee. “Empowering employees with tools to live healthier lives aligns with our mission to build healthier communities.”
 
The wide-ranging approach, which includes initiatives such as no deep-fried food or sugary beverages offered through nutrition services, and Well-Being Warriors who act as employee ambassadors for healthy living physical challenges, establishes an environment where healthy choices are encouraged and rewarded. Online health education and tools to track healthy activities enable employees to set and achieve realistic goals. Overall, both the organization and employees win.
 
“Premier Healthy Living, our employee wellness program, focuses on the wellness dimensions of nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, and overall lifestyle,” remarked Brenda Bodenmiller, employee wellness manager for Premier Health. “In 2018, employees lost collectively 5,247 pounds through participation in our healthy living challenges.”
The Ohio Department of Health’s Healthy Business Council of Ohio and its seven statewide regional councils are a group of Ohio companies sharing best practices for a healthy workforce and a healthy economy. These companies have made a commitment to employees by incorporating comprehensive worksite health promotion and wellness programs into their worksites. Council members realize that healthy employees make a positive difference and that a positive return on investment in employee health is significant to both employer and employee.
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About Premier Health
Based in Dayton, Ohio, Premier Health (www.premierhealth.com) has a mission to improve the health of the communities it serves. The health system operates three hospitals: Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton with additional inpatient sites in Centerville and Englewood; Atrium Medical Center in Middletown; and Upper Valley Medical Center in Miami County. In addition, the health system offers a wide range of care choices, including virtual care; e-visits; a telestroke network and other telehealth options; an urgent care network; free-standing emergency departments; a large primary and specialty care network; and home health services. Premier Health is the second largest employer in the region and the largest health care system in Southwest Ohio.