Press Release: MetroHealth Honored by IBI for Health & Productivity Leadership

San Fancisco, CA, March 28, 2017 -- MetroHealth System (MHS) was honored with the Integrated Benefit Institute’s 2017 Enterprise Health Management & Business Performance Award at the IBI Annual Forum in San Francisco. The award recognizes leadership in the area of health and productivity, and honors an employer that has worked with its employees to develop, implement and measure the impact of an innovative health strategy.

“MHS is a shining example of a public healthcare system that knew its responsibility extended beyond the patients it serves to include the health and wellbeing of its employees,” said Dr. Thomas Parry, IBI’s President. “With all of the necessary resources already available to promote healthy choices and improve health outcomes among patients, MHS was able to optimize the health of their workforce simply by recognizing it as a priority.”

Recognizing that employees can best care for patients only after they care for themselves, MHS designed an employee wellness program called MetroHealthy (MHy) that would demonstrate results. MHS’s mission to “lead the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery and teamwork” was the foundation for the program. With an expanding workforce located at many different locations with varied shift times, MHS aimed to make the programs accessible and user-friendly with multiple ways to participate. Through on-going assessment with employees via surveys and focus groups, employees have a voice to ensure that it is responsive to their interests and needs.

MHS is committed to increasing engagement by continually evolving the program. In 2010, MHS implemented a hand-hygiene campaign, following by mandatory flu vaccination for employees in 2012. Their initiatives have contributed to a 22% reduction in sick leave, leading to an estimated cost savings of over $114,500. Since 2015, all employees participated in both a patient communication program and Pathways to Caring, both of which give employees an opportunity to practice value-based behavior and communication tools to optimize experiences with each other, patients and their community. MHS’s offerings have expanded to support stress reduction with resiliency training, Schwartz Center Rounds focusing on caregiver fatigue, and individual counseling. This year, the incentive program will include spouses and children, as well.

These efforts have resulted in a positive shift towards healthier behaviors, especially in the areas of nutrition, exercise and stress management. The online health assessment shows that sustained participation in the programs leads to sustained improvement year over year.

About the Integrated Benefits Institute

Founded in 1995, the Integrated Benefits Institute is a national, nonprofit research and educational organization committed to helping business leaders and policymakers understand the business value of workforce health and recognize the competitive advantages of helping employees get and stay healthy. IBI is supported by more than 1,200 member companies representing over 20 million workers.

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Contact:
Gia Harris, MPH
Communications Lead
Integrated Benefits Institute
gharris@ibiweb.org
(415) 222-7230