Healthiest Employers of Rhode Island Awards 2020 | 500-1,499 EMPLOYEES
1. South County Health |Aaron Robinson, CEO and president | Number of employees: 779
SOUTH COUNTY HEALTH knows how to keep its patients healthy. It also recognizes the importance of taking care of the caretakers.
The South Kingstown-based health system offers employees a variety of wellness programs.
Participation is measured in a year-over-year report illustrating engagement in activities that earn employees points. The report also reviews which employees do activities that earn them additional points. It uses the data, which shows more involvement in the employees’ overall wellness, to determine what programs and activities to offer, and focuses on the activities that resonate well with employees.
One of South County Health’s most successful programs is the Walk/Jog/Run team. The team provides an opportunity for individuals to participate in an activity that benefits their health not only in the physical sense but also in the social and emotional areas. Many participants have lost weight by engaging in the activity, either walking, running or jogging, and gained friendships within the team. They’ve also had more social interactions with each other at work.
“In health care, you are really busy. So, it’s easy to just get caught up in your work and say you don’t have time,” South County Health human resources compliance specialist Beth Keene said. “This group was relying on the same members coming, so there was a level of accountability there.”
The health system’s on-site fitness center saw a lot of employees use in 2019 and captures the success of the Well Beyond program’s effectiveness. The fitness center’s high attendance made the wellness program excel in the past year, and demonstrates that employees are not only looking out for their health but also change for the better and seeing positive results.
But South County Health doesn’t just focus on physical activity. It offers activities that promote nutrition, preventive care, career development, emotional, financial and community well-being. Activities are carefully selected to ensure they appeal to a broad and diversified audience and include all staff (and spouses), regardless of benefits eligibility or enrollment status.
‘There is a social aspect of wellness; it’s something that might not be on the forefront of their minds, but emotional health is important too.’
Beth Keene, South County Health human resources compliance specialist
CEO and President Aaron Robinson implemented monthly birthday and retirement celebrations for employees when he joined South County Health in 2019. He made it a point to recognize the special day for each employee as a way to encourage staff to participate in the event during their birthday/retirement month and support their community well-being.
Attendees appreciated the recognition, and also found it fun because they learned that they either shared a birthday month or a retirement month with other employees.
Another successful program South County Health recently implemented was a weight-management program. Two dietitians met with participants once a week, offering tips such as getting the right amount of protein and choosing healthier snacks.
“It was really well-received by staff and got off to a great start,” Keene said.
The company has also recently initiated a veggie box delivery service from Roch’s Fresh Foods, which people “loved,” Keene said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, South County Health doubled its wellness points for staff because there was no access to the gym. “We really wanted to encourage people not to forget about exercise, even though it was harder to exercise,” Keene said.
Instead of its regular activity flyer, South County Health sent out a comprehensive resources flyer that addressed everything from stress management to financial coaching. The company also set up a rest area in the hospital for staff so they had a quiet place to retreat to, and resources were available there as well.
“We wanted to make it that whatever you’re feeling, here is a resource for you,” Keene said.
Keene acknowledged that the program evolved over the course of the pandemic but said that was a good thing.
“We really did try to give a lot of thought to changing the program to meet the needs of our employees because the needs are so different than they were three or four months ago,” Keene said.
