Businesses, school districts and governing bodies across Lancaster County are initiating innovative programs that promote wellness in the workplace. The strides that are being made are prompting many CEOs and administrators to agree that it’s not just about the money being saved on health-care insurance. Healthy and happy employees are having an effect on the bottom line. Meet the winners of the platinum and gold Well Workplace Awards.
Dutchland, Inc.
Platinum Award/Small Business category
Taking advantage of the company gym at Dutchland, Inc., are (seated, left to right) Sylvia Kauffman and Amy Jaros. Standing are: Dave Pennington, Austin Smoker, Coby Long and Don Liney.
The Gap-based company, which was founded in 1985, designs, manufactures and constructs wastewater treatment plants. The precast concrete elements are manufactured in Gap and are then transported to the site, where they are installed by the company’s employees. While much of Dutchland’s work entails locations in Pennsylvania, clients are located throughout the Mid-Atlantic and beyond.
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Lancaster General Health
Platinum Award/Large Business Category
A display in the hospital’s dining area is dedicated to the super foods we read about but rarely get to taste. Samples are shared through the displays that change on a monthly basis, as are recipes and other information. January’s super foods display focused on citrus. Here, Brynn Kline (in red) shares samples with Alicia Mulcavage, while Dr. Christian Hermansen, MD, and Yvette Soulidis study the recipe handouts that are made available. “It’s definitely a learning process,” says Brynn.
With more than 7,000 employees, Lancaster General Health is the largest employer in Lancaster County. Including employees’ spouses, LG Health’s wellness program Ω MyHealthyLiving Ω encompasses more than 11,000 individuals. The comprehensive program involves personnel in every department throughout the health system, including service and maintenance staff, office and IT workers, nurses, doctors and other healthcare providers.
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Penn Manor School District
Gold Award/Large Business Category
L. to R.: Molly Miller, Mary Barnett, Dr. Dawn Janssen, Sharon Knighton, John Matusek
According to Penn Manor’s wellness coordinator, Dr. Dawn Janssen, the district had a wellness program in the past but was forced to discontinue it due to budget constraints. Then, in 2009, Cindy Rhoades, who was the district’s community relations coordinator at the time, came to Dawn and asked if she would be interested in helping her start a support group for people who wanted to make some changes in their lives.
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Know Your Numbers According to Lancaster General Health and the American Heart Association, your goals should be:
Waist Circumference Women: 35 or less inches Men: 40 or less inches
HDL (Good Cholesterol) Women: 50 or more Men: 40 or more
LDL (Bad Cholesterol): Women & Men: Less than 130 Triglycerides Women & Men: Less than 150
Blood Pressure: Women & Men: Under 130/85
The High companies
Gold Award/Large Business Category
Darryl Gordon, who is the vice president of human resources at The High companies, oversees the company’s Workplace Wellness program, High Health Management.
The “high way” of doing things is twofold. The company’s goals are to build relationships and lead by being innovators. It all began in 1931 when Sanford High opened a welding shop in Lancaster. He saw a way to improve the state’s infrastructure and took his innovative ideas – build bridges using welding methods and not riveting – to state officials. By the early ‘50s, his company received its first substantial steel-fabrication contracts. Today, High is a conglomerate of companies dedicated to bridge building, concrete fabrication, steel, construction, real estate development and hotels. Still another entity deals with the building, leasing and management of corporate centers and apartment complexes. A third generation of Highs has taken a managerial role in the company.
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Precision Medical Products
Gold Award/Small Business Category
Bob Rhoads, executive vice president of Precision Medical Products, firmly believes in his company’s wellness program, HEARTS.
Located in Denver, Precision Medical Products engineers, manufactures and packages life-saving medical devices that are used by its medical, dental and pharmaceutical clients. Needle assemblies are a specialty of the company. The needle design used in smallpox vaccinations is exclusive to Precision Medical.
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Winning Workplaces
Last spring, as part of the 2014 Lancaster County Health Summit, the following companies were honored for their Well Workplace programs. The awards were presented by Tom Baldridge, President and CEO of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry, on behalf of Lighten Up Lancaster County, the Lancaster County Business Group on Health (LCBGH), Lancaster County Health Improvement Partnership (LHIP) and the Tobacco Free Coalition. Nominees were evaluated according to the CDC’s Workplace Health Scorecard, which assesses efforts being made in 12 different areas, including physical activity, nutrition, weight management, stress management, tobacco control and high blood pressure.
Platinum
- Dutchland, Inc. (small business category)
- Lancaster General Health (large business category)
Gold
- Precision Medical Products (small business category)
- The High companies (large business category)
- Penn Manor School District (large business category)
Silver (small business category)
- Benchmarck Construction Co.
- Benecon
- C.S. Davidson
- Lancaster County Waste
- Management Authority
- Murray Insurance
- Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster
- Worley Obetz
- Preferred Health Care Unity
Silver (large business category)
- Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp.
- CNH
- ENCORE International
- Engle Printing & Publishing
- Herr’s Foods
- IU-13
Bronze Awards (small business category)
- EHD
- Nxtbook Media
- VisionCorps
Bronze Awards (large business category)
- Community Action Program of Lancaster
- CoreSource
- County of Lancaster
- Ephrata Area School District
- Clair Global
- Fulton Financial Corp.
- Isaac’s
- Hospice Community Care
- Lancaster Regional & Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Centers
- Manheim Township School District
In addition, the Innovation Award was presented to Herr’s Foods.
Companies interested in starting their own Well Workplace programs are invited to contact Brynn Kline at Lancaster General Health. Call her at 544-3621 or email bkline2@LGHealth.org.
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