Fitness room at Broughton Hospital
Broughton Hospital in Morganton is the first state agency to earn Excellence Recognition from Prevention Partners, the organization’s highest standard for healthy workplaces.
The award signals that Broughton has completed a transformation in workplace health and prevention. The state hospital that serves western North Carolina counties scored straight A’s in each of four modules: nutrition, physical activity, tobacco cessation and an overall culture of wellness. The modules are the core of WorkHealthy America, Prevention Partners’ workplace prevention initiative.
“State agencies have limited funds and face extra challenges when they work to change employee environments, so we congratulate Broughton’s staff for their resourcefulness, dedication, and commitment to creating a healthy work culture for employees,” said Meg Molloy, president & CEO of Prevention Partners. “These efforts will improve the health of employees and their family members, reduce time away from work, and reduce healthcare costs to the taxpayer - much to celebrate!”
Other DHHS facilities participating in the program include J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center, Division of Public Health on Six Forks in Raleigh, O’Berry Neuro Medical Treatment Center, Office of Rural Health and Community Care, Division of Medical Assistance and the Division of Aging and Adult Services.
“Employee wellness is important to Broughton Hospital because we are in the business of health care,” said Sherry Helton, radiology director at Broughton and coordinator of its WorkHealthy initiative. “Wellness is a personal journey, but environment/culture is a big influence on this journey. Broughton Hospital wants to be a supportive environment for each employee’s personal journey into and throughout wellness. WorkHealthy America has given our Employee Wellness committee the tools to evaluate our environment and culture and manageable suggestions to make effective changes.”
The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust funded WorkHealthy America pilot initiatives in the rural North Carolina counties of Burke and Lenoir. “The Trust is committed to supporting healthier workplaces for low- and moderate-income people, and the work at Broughton is showing great results. We look forward to hearing more about Broughton’s healthier workers, as well as those of other employers in the Burke and Lenoir pilot programs,” said Allen Smart, vice president of programs, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.
“This is wonderful news, not only for the staff of Broughton Hospital, but for the people they serve. Healthy employees provide better, more efficient service,” says Katherine Hilliard, Statewide Wellness Coordinator with the NC Office of State Human Resources. “I am thrilled with Broughton Hospital’s success, and I hope to see other state agencies following in their footsteps in the near future.”
For more information see www.forprevention.org.