Phoebe recognized for workplace health programs

ALBANY — Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital has been recognized in the American Heart Association’s 2019 Workplace Health Achievement Index at the Silver Level. The program recognizes companies for their outstanding efforts to implement quality workplace employee health programs.

“We are honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our efforts,” Tony Welch, senior vice president and chief Human Resource officer, said in a news release. “We have taken significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace. At Phoebe, we continually gather feedback from our employees to ensure we are offering opportunities and programs that they are not only interested in but encourage healthy lifestyles.”

The American Heart Association created the Index with its CEO Roundtable, a leadership collaborative of more than 40 CEOs from some of America’s largest companies who are committed to applying evidence-based approaches to improve their employees’ overall health. The Index uses science-based best practices to evaluate the overall quality and comprehensiveness of their workplace health programs. Studies show that work sites with a culture of health with comprehensive evidence-based policies and programs, and senior leadership support are more likely to have engaged employees and a healthier, more productive work force.

A unique feature of the index is that it calculates an average heart health score for employees of participating companies that securely submit aggregate health data. Companies receive benchmarking reports, which allow them to identify potential areas of improvement so that they can advance their annual performance and recognition.

Phoebe’s wellness program includes fitness and wellness centers, free fitness classes, health clinics, group walking activities and healthy eating cooking classes. Phoebe family members also have access to virtual health coaches and an employee assistance program, which offers counseling services to help cope with grief or problems.

The American Heart Association, through collaboration with numerous organizations and powered by millions of volunteers, funds innovative research, advocates for the public’s health and shares lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with the organization at heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

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