The Duneland Chamber of Commerce’s very last Sunrise Seminar of 2015 took place in early November. Per the norm, it took place in the cozy confines of Riley’s Railhouse, and Porter Regional Hospital was the presenter along with the Duneland Family YMCA. The topic of discussion: how corporate wellness can improve your bottom line.
Both the Duneland Family YMCA and Porter Regional Hospital have been partners for about 15 years. The Duneland YMCA and Porter developed a wellness program for the Y’s members that Porter wants to offer to their client companies and organizations as well.
"Lots of people will be thinking about health in the New Year," Beth Luncsford, Marketing Director for the Duneland Chamber of Commerce said. "Businesses will reevaluate wellness programs and workplace wellness is relevant to any employer. I think Porter and the Duneland YMCA have a lot to offer in that and many other aspects."
“We want employers to help themselves and their employees be healthy,” Laurie Wehner-Evans, Director of Community and Corporate Wellness at Porter Regional Hospital said. “By being healthy they are present and engaged at work and that assists with their bottom line.”
Porter Health Care System’s Health at Work program is something that any business can take part in.
“We represent the Occupational and Wellness Division for Porter. I get the exciting opportunity to go meet with area employees and employers and talk to them about their pre-employment testing needs,” Roberta Tuft, Corporate Health Consultant for Porter Regional Hospital said. “Our Health at Work program focuses on making the right fit for the right employee and the right job.”
Basically, Porter makes it easy for people to get access to things that are already provided by many insurances through their corporate health services. They will come to your office to do onsite testing, provide wellness talks and health coaching, access to educational programs, and more.
There are many benefits to taking part in the Health at Work program for both employers and employees. Employee absenteeism lowers and satisfaction raises because they feel like their employers care. They get access to a large and wide variety of wellness services with no contractual obligation as well as access to educational information. Onsite screenings make things convenient and easy for employees, many of the services are administered free of charge and results come quickly. And the benefits continue. Click here to read more about employee benefits through the Health at Work Program.
Employers benefit because of the morale boost, and the lowering of recordables and medical costs. They can rely on Porter’s Service Coordinators to help get them the services they need any time of the day or night, because today people work at all hours and health doesn’t take a break. Employers can get advice that will help them set priorities to achieve workforce wellness goals, aggregate reports that identify healthcare needs specific to their organization, and corporate wellness solutions that are customized to fit the needs of their business. Click here to see employer benefits through the Health at Work Program.
“We can come to your work and do physicals, bone density screenings, flu shots, and more,” Stephen Beach, Community Wellness Nurse and Educator at Porter Health System said. “For companies that want to take it further we can do blood draws and conduct CMPs, and we can offer one-on-one health coaching, and a lot more.”
Starin Marketing, Inc. utilizes the Wellness at Work Program. Jim Starin, owner and founder, said that it has done wonders for his business.
"We opened in 1988 and five of the six employees who started with us are still here. When Porter Regional Hospital brought their wellness program to us, it was a no-brainer. We jumped on board. It communicated that we care to our employees,” Starin said. “We firmly believe at Starin that the people are your most valuable asset. It’s no longer good enough to provide four walls and a competitive paycheck. You’ll lose your employees.”
“I want to thank Porter for bringing this great initiative to the Duneland YMCA,” Emily Hoge, Membership Coordinator at the Duneland Family YMCA said. “I sign all of the new members up and they are very excited to have these benefits available.”
The Duneland YMCA also offers corporate memberships. It takes five or more people from a company to take part, and you get the benefits that regular YMCA members get. Click here to find out more!
Dave Kasarda, CEO of the Duneland Family YMCA can attest to the usefulness of the Wellness at Work Program. Six years ago, Kasarda was the CEO of the Portage Township YMCA, and one night after work he went to bed and promptly had a massive heart attack. No signs or symptoms showed beforehand, and when he was rushed to Porter Regional Hospital (Porter Memorial at the time) he had another heart attack at the hospital. Kasarda’s blood pressure was nearing 500 and four out of five of his coronary arteries were completely blocked.
“The irony was that I was the executive director of a YMCA. I was the model of health,” Kasarda said. “And we had all of these screenings available to us and I never took part. But when I was on my back in the ICU, I completely reevaluated my life. Wellness at Work is not about getting new members or new employees, it’s about keeping the health that you have. Once you lose that health it’s gone forever. If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for your family… Had I known ahead of time, none of this would have taken place.”
If you are a business owner or employee and you are interested in making health a priority at your company, get in touch with Porter Regional Hospital today. Contact Betsy Walker at (219) 263-7200 to schedule an appointment with one of their Corporate Health Consultants.