Community recognized for healthy work environment
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| Community Medical Centers' safety team officers, pictured from left to right: Joe Vomacka (fire/life safety), Barry Boyles (safety), Casey Jenson (safety), Nancy Cheng (administrative assistant) and Lonnie Carter (manager). |
Community was given a certificate recognizing its efforts in promoting and supporting physical activities, promoting consumption of healthy food and beverages, taking appropriate steps toward providing a safe environment and supporting breast-feeding mothers.
“We appreciate this award which acknowledges California hospitals that are meeting key standards in creating a culture of wellness,” said Tim A. Joslin, chief executive officer of the non-profit Community system. “This is a long-term commitment by Community in a very challenging health care environment.”
One expression of this commitment was the 2007 launch of the C-Fit Community Wellness Program, which helps employees maintain a balanced lifestyle to improve their overall well-being. C-Fit offers everything from educational health classes to group recreational activities and sports. More than 30 percent of Community’s 6,000 employees have enrolled in the program.
“We are moving in the right direction to improve the health of our employees,” said C-Fit wellness program director and registered dietitian, Jack Lazzarini. “Creating this culture is a slow process, and it ultimately takes everyone (all employees) being on-board to support and drive the program.”
The certificate from hospital association and state health officials also recognized:
- Community’s hospital cafeterias, for offering a variety of healthful food options with daily salad bars and formation of wellness advisory groups.
- Community’s safety team, for educating employees on evaluating and responding appropriately to a variety of situations, and for providing a clean and safe environment.
- Community’s policy of strongly supporting breast-feeding mothers, both employees and guests, by providing access to private locations to feed their babies.
Locally owned Community is more than 100 years old. It operates three acute-care hospitals – Community Regional Medical Center, Clovis Community Medical Center and Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital – as well as several long-term care and outpatient centers.
This story was reported by Rebecca Wass. She can be reached at rwass@communitymedical.org.