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Huguley Memorial Medical Center employees Janice Markwardt, R.N., Jerry Howard, and Scott Henderson were the top three finishers in Huguley’s contest to name and design a logo for its new Huguley Employee Wellness Program. Janice, an ER nurse who lives in Itasca, won 8 hours of paid time off for her winning “Body Watch” entry. Second-place finisher Jerry Howard, an MRI tech from Keene, won an iPod Shuffle, and Crowley’s Scott Henderson, a master mechanic in plant services, won four hours of paid time off for his third-place entry.
Huguley introduced its wellness plan this year. Approximately 60% of Huguley employees have elected to participate. The plan offers reduced health insurance premiums to those who take a health risk assessment and screening. Employees who complete quarterly wellness initiatives receive a further reduction in premiums.
Wellness initiatives are simple steps attainable by anyone to increase their knowledge or improve their health. Employees complete one initiative quarterly in each of three categories: nutrition, exercise and education/wellness. Examples of wellness initiatives include attending a healthy cooking class, keeping an exercise log, or getting an annual physical, dental cleaning or immunization. Many wellness initiatives were suggested by employees.
“The employee wellness program was introduced so that our employees recognize and understand any health conditions they may have. If you are unaware, you can’t manage any health problems you may have,” said Jackie Yates, benefits specialist at Huguley Memorial Medical Center. |