My Healthy Spirit
CHI St. Vincent Infirmary
Little Rock
Health care facilities, like companies in other industries, are discovering the value of taking care of the employees who take care of patients. CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock is one such health care employer and has taken the lead in providing for employees’ health and wellness through its My Healthy Spirit workplace wellness program.
“Workplace wellness is a priority for CHI St. Vincent,” said administrator of wellness programs Amy Funderburk, pictured to the right of Foundation CHI St. Vincent developmental specialist Fran Webb. “Injuries are also costly to an organization. Lost time, recovery, payment for surgeries, treatments or other issues can really add up. Ultimately, a lot of an organization’s well-being rests in the well-being of the coworker.”
CHI St. Vincent Infirmary provides a variety of benefits aimed directly at the health and wellness of employees. Among these are regular wellness activities, a fitness center and incentives for wellness behaviors such as annual biometrics screenings and activity levels.
“Health care is a physically demanding job which can strain and push our caregivers to the limit,” Funderburk said “Recently data regarding injuries to health care workers primarily due to lifting and patient handling as well as fatigue has become overwhelming and has made the need to safeguard our employees a top priority.”
In addition, Funderburk maintains an open door policy for any employee with a suggestion for improving workplace safety or the health and fitness of workers.
Another aspect of the program is to closely study the risk factors involved when an employee suffers an injury. Funderbruk uses this as a means of gathering information for creating a safer and healthier workplace in the future.
“We monitor injuries from any source and watch current trends and issues,” she said. “We also conduct annual safety and employee satisfaction surveys. We track participation in the prevention efforts we initiate, such as the number of employees participating in annual screenings and flu shots.”
While it’s obvious that a healthier workforce saves the organization money by reducing absenteeism and driving down insurance costs, Funderburk said there are other, equally important reasons for investing so much time and resources into CHI St. Vincent Infirmary’s workplace wellness programs.
“First and foremost, it boosts retention,” she said. “Who wants to continue working in an organization that does not value the employee or their health and well-being? Second, it helps us recruit new employees. Our best recruiters are our own employees and we want them to spread the word that this is the place to work, not the place to avoid.”
Details:
» CHI St. Vincent Infirmary provides a variety of employee benefits aimed directly at the health and wellness of employees.
» My Healthy Spirit includes regular wellness activities, a fitness center and incentives for wellness behaviors such as annual biometrics screenings and activity levels.
» Organizers also take their cue from the workforce when analyzing workplace health risks and areas that require wellness training.
