Neighborhood Healthcare, a regional Federally Qualified Health Center providing medical, dental, and behavioral health services, received the Gold Award by Aetna, a CVS Company, in its annual Workplace Wellness competition.
The national insurance company cited the non-profit for the second straight year for creating strong workplace well-being programs that cover five dimensions of the employee experience and health: physical, mental, financial, community, and career.
“We believe healthy communities become prosperous ones, and we practice what we preach within the walls of our facilities,” said Rakesh Patel, MD, CEO of Neighborhood Healthcare. “As important, we work hard as an organization to invite the families of our team members into our wellness programs. I’m thrilled that our staff continues to embrace each wellness initiative and honored that Aetna recognizes how committed our leaders and employees are to it!”
Neighborhood Healthcare’s strategic employee wellness program includes various activities, such as the #1 meditation and sleep app, Calm, as well as quarterly challenges and after-hours team-building opportunities. These activities include smoothie demonstrations, calligraphy, Family Feud, painting, improv classes, and more. In addition to the standard financial wellness webinars, too, there are opportunities to engage the family through 5K or Walk sponsorships, paid volunteer opportunities, walking excursions, and other activities.
Since its inception, three-fourths of Neighborhood Healthcare employees have consistently engaged in at least one of the organization’s wellness initiatives, significantly more than the national average. The national average consistently shows one-third of employees tend to use their company’s wellness programs, according to a Gartner 2021 study.
“It’s about the total employee experience. It’s about meeting an employee where they are, given their specific circumstances, and finding a wellness option that speaks to them. We also try to involve our employees’ families, as we believe we’re better together inside and outside our Neighborhood walls,” said Kelly Sevick, Manager of Employee Experience for Neighborhood Healthcare. “For example, we also provide every employee and five of their family members with a year’s access to Calm, which includes content such as sleep stories, playlists, guided meditations, masterclasses, and more. Our team members and their families see this as a huge perk!”
New employees are indoctrinated into Neighborhood Healthcare’s wellness program, and strategic meetings with the non-profit’s wellness team occur regularly to ensure the initiative’s sustainability. Employees also provide feedback and suggestions for additional activities to maintain a high level of engagement within the organization.
“We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 90 percent of our employees we surveyed agreeing that the wellness initiatives have produced a better sense of personal well-being,” said Sevcik. “I’ve also received unsolicited comments from team members who say the events have given them a stronger sense of well-being. I can’t wait to see how this program evolves and becomes a model for other Federally Qualified Health Centers to emulate.”
Sevcik and Neighborhood Healthcare’s Director of Employee Experience, Todd Willer, will present the organization’s wellness program and strategic plan at the California Primary Care Association Conference later this month.
About Neighborhood Healthcare
Neighborhood Healthcare provides quality, compassionate, whole-person care to everyone, regardless of circumstance, throughout San Diego and Riverside Counties. We go above and beyond in serving those in need with high integrity, professionalism, and in the spirit of collaboration, just as we did when founded more than 50 years ago. In doing so, we dedicate ourselves to improving community health so everyone can live happy and healthy lives.