News & Events

Western N.C. Employers Build a Culture that Supports Health and Wellness

September 29, 2011

Employers from western North Carolina are working to strengthen their wellness environments to support the health of their employees. NC Prevention Partners, in partnership with the North Carolina Center for Health & Wellness at UNC Asheville, held a Prevention Academy on Thursday, September 22 to help regional businesses build strong worksite wellness practices.

Thursday's Prevention Academy built upon previous work in the Asheville area to help establish clear prevention policies and healthier workplace environments. With support from Pfizer Inc., NC Prevention Partners launched a three-year partnership with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA's Pioneering Healthier Communities, and the Buncombe County Health Department last September that has guided employers to build healthier workplaces and reduce preventable healthcare costs with NC Prevention Partners' WorkHealthy America initiative.

"The Asheville Chamber of Commerce knows that successful wellness requires a strategic framework, so we are pleased that we are part of a local team that has helped bring NC Prevention Partners' WorkHealthy America to our community for the last two years," said Phil Pratt, Director of Membership Sales at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. "It was great to hear success stories from the likes of Johnson, Price and Sprinkle, Mission Hospital, and the YMCA. The impact to the bottom line from a cost savings standpoint is impressive."

At the Academy, local business leaders attended interactive presentations and small group sessions about strengthening preventive benefits and establishing a culture of wellness through tobacco-free policies, healthy food environments and physically active worksites. They also had the opportunity to network with other likeminded organizations in their area who attended the event.

The Asheville City Schools brought a team of ten to the Prevention Academy to enhance what the schools are doing for staff wellness, and also attended the Zone Health training for student wellness on Friday, September 23. According to Michele Lemell, the Healthful Living Coordinator who oversees the School Health Advisory Committee for the Asheville City Schools, they have been working on wellness and have seen good progress, but were excited about how these new tools could support continued growth.

"For us, being able to tap into WorkHealthy America for staff, Zone Health for students, and the support from NC Prevention Partners is exciting. We'll use the online tools for strategic planning, which will help us focus on finding the gaps in what we are doing and how to establish evidence-based ways to fill those gaps," Lemell said.

"The strong community leadership that brought the Prevention Academy to western NC is remarkable," notes Meg Molloy, President and CEO of NC Prevention Partners. "We help focus an employer's valuable time and limited resources on wellness strategies that make a difference. That, in combination with learning from other employers, and how to link with the rich local wellness resources, is building healthy worksites, healthier employees, a healthier bottom line and a healthier community."

For more information about the Asheville Prevention Academy and WorkHealthy America, please visit http://www.ncpreventionpartners.org.