Mission: Health Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles and Improved Health
Sentara is committed to the health of our employees. Sentara "Mission: Health," an award winning* program was developed to provide health assistance to Sentara employees to encourage healthy lifestyles and improved health, as well as to offer employees incentives that encourage healthy living in order to keep medical costs down. One example is Beth Miller who works at Sentara CarePlex Hospital. Read her story to learn how she has taken steps to improve her health and well being.
Participants can lower the amount they spend on their medical plan coverage through Sentara, earn incentives in following established treatments for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and pregnancy, participate in more than 30 different health and wellness programs through Healthy Edge, an award winning** employee health improvement program and most importantly benefit by becoming healthier individuals. Read more about these motivating health programs at Sentara.
A health coach, who serves as a liaison between the employee and wellness programs, works with employees who have been identified with two or more health risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
In 2008, Mission: Health was introduced to employees due to rising health insurance costs and weakening participation in Healthy Edge sponsored health improvement programs in 2007. The Mission: Health program offered incentives for healthy lifestyles and engagement with a health coach. Participation results from 2008 show significant increases due to the new program design. Employees may read more about Mission: Health on WaveNet.
In 2007, only 732 Sentara employees participated in WalkAbout with Healthy Edge, a walking wellness program designed to increase monitored walking in an effort to lose weight and improve health. In 2008, after the start of Mission:Health, participation jumped to 3,601.
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| (L-R) Sheila Bailey has her blood pressure taken by Phyllis Moran, RN, at a Mission: Health screening. |
Another program,
Eating for Life, a DVD and workbook program for adults to learn about healthy eating and exercise, saw an increase from 196 participants in 2007 to 1,259 in 2008. That’s five times more employees walking and six times more employees eating healthier.
I would like to thank the
Sentara Community Health and Preventive Services team, including the health coaches, nurses, clinicians and entire staff for their commitment to Mission: Health and for helping fellow team members “Improve Health Every Day.”
I applaud every Member of the Team who is taking charge of his or her own health and for taking full advantage of Mission: Health and all of the programs Healthy Edge has to offer you.
-- Dave Bernd
*In 2009, Sentara Healthcare was recognized as the first-ever Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company by the Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Heart Association’s Start! Movement for implementing health and wellness programs for its employees in an effort to reduce health care costs and to help employees live healthier lives.
**In 1998, Sentara’s Healthy Edge program received the C. Everett Koop National Health Award for excellence in employee health promotion, behavioral change activities and use of motivational incentives. In 2006, Sentara’s Healthy Edge program received the Wellness in the Workplace Award from the Virginia Business Coalition on Health. The Wellness Council of America also recognized Sentara’s employee health program with a Gold Level Award for Well Workplace designation.