Corporate Wellness - Collaborating for Healthy Living

Corporate Wellness – Collaborating for Healthy Living

By Nicole Flood

Wellness programs not only benefit the employee, but they also benefit the organization and community as a whole. That is why Boone Hospital Center works with corporate partners in mid-Missouri to provide wellness programs and initiatives tailored to their needs. 

“When companies focus on wellness, it not only helps the employee but it also helps the company maintain a healthy bottom-line,” says Jeff Zimmermann, Manager of Health Promotions and Business Development, Boone Hospital Center. “Boone Hospital Center’s corporate wellness program is an outreach program that reaches mid-Missouri companies that are interested in employee health and wellness screenings, as well as specific nutrition and fitness related programs.” 

Their team consists of registered nurses, dietitians, exercise physiologists, health coaches and more to provide a variety of corporate wellness programs that are unique and structured to reach individuals specific areas of interest. “We focus on nutrition, fitness and overall wellness; weight management, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose,” says Jeff. In addition, they provide presentations and health challenges on various nutritional, fitness and health-related topics. 

With a mission to improve the health of people in the communities they serve, the program is one of the many ways Boone Hospital Center fulfills their mission. “When we are onsite delivering these health screenings, we supply follow-up information including our directories of physicians and clinics, as well as health resources available to guide the patient to better health,” says Jeff. 

The Mobile Health Unit makes many of these services possible by bringing screenings right to their corporate client’s place of work. Thanks to the Boone Hospital Foundation and the Board of Trustees, they were able to raise the funds to purchase the Mobile Health Unit. “We are truly grateful to the Boone Hospital Foundation investing in the health of our community,” says Jeff. “We’re fortunate to live in a community that is surrounded by exceptional health care and interested in the well-being of our citizens.”

Corporate Partners:

Boone Electric

Jeff and the wellness team currently work with several corporate clients for wellness initiatives.  Boone Electric and Veterans United Home Loans are two of their most engaged area workplaces. 

Boone Hospital Center’s corporate health relationship with Boone Electric began in the early 1990s. “They have a very organized regimen built within their benefit program and we have been fortunate to work with this dynamic and hard-working team over the years,” says Jeff. “Boone Electric’s success is based on the leadership and engagement among the team. They are very interested in maintaining a healthy life style, which also comes with healthy competition.” Boone Electric is a member of the top plan, the Gold corporate wellness package. This grants their employees a yearly health screening, flu shots, multiple presentations and health challenges. 

“Boone Hospital does an excellent job of presenting ‘lunch and learn’ topics that are key to our employees’ health and interest,” says Laura Baker, Manager of Member Services with Boone Electric. “They offer great topics and come up with fantastic health challenges. We also have an employee workout room and they are great in giving advice as to which equipment is best.” 

Laura adds that this program has been valuable in encouraging their employees to live a healthier lifestyle. It serves as a great resource in many aspects without Boone Electric having to have health providers on staff.

“The partnership has allowed us to count on Boone Hospital for topics that are pertinent to what they are seeing in the community,” says Laura. “If they are taking care of themselves, this helps to prevent injury and illness so they are more productive at work and then can go home and BE with their families. I would hope that encouraging that behavior at work filters to their home life as well!”

Corporate Partners:

Veterans United Home Loans

Veterans United and Boone’s corporate health relationship begin in 2010 with health screenings and flu vaccination clinics. “As years progressed, so did their interest wellness across the board,” says Jeff. “Veterans United cares about their employee’s health and wellness and it shows in their detailed programs.” In addition to health screenings and flu shots, Boone Hospital also provides First Aid Stations at Veterans United team events, and provides skin cancer screenings.   

“What’s great about Boone Hospital is they offer a variety of wellness services and bring them to us so that our employees can conveniently access them at their office locations,” says Amy Starr, Manager Life Balance Program for Veterans United Home Loans. “At Veterans United, we not only strive to enhance the lives of our borrowers, but also to have a positive impact on the lives of our employees. As a company, we value the health of our employees and encourage them to take an active role in maintaining good health.”

Working with Boone Hospital’s wellness program allows Veterans United to build on their Life Balance Program. “Our Life Balance Program is here to support our employees in a wide array of life events and experiences: celebrating milestones, connecting co-workers, growing as individuals and supporting each other in times of grief and need,” says Amy. 

At Veterans United, Amy says they care about their employees both professionally and personally. “We promote a culture of a healthy work-life balance and support each other so we can do the things that matter most inside and outside of work. Our continued relationship with Boone Hospital has been instrumental in helping us meet the wellness needs of our employees.”  

For more information about Boone Hospital Center’s Corporate Wellness Services, or to learn how your organization might benefit from this program, visit  boone.org/corporatewellness or contact Jeff Zimmermann at 573-815-3263 or jeffrey.zimmermann@bjc.org.