DAYTON — Premier Health has been named one of the 2021 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America by Healthiest Employers® for its investment in the health and well-being of employees. This award honors organizations that demonstrate care for their people by investing in health and well-being solutions and initiatives.

Scoring is based on each organization’s Healthiest Employers Index — a metric that reflects six categories:

• Culture and Leadership Commitment;

• Foundational Components;

• Strategic Planning;

• Communications and Marketing;

• Programming and Interventions; and

• Reporting and Analytics.

The questionnaire, scoring, and benchmarking were developed with the help of a national, non-biased group of representatives from the academic, medical, and wellness communities.

“The Premier Healthy Living program approaches employee well-being holistically,” said Dr. Melinda Ruff, chair of the Premier Healthy Living Medical Advisory Board. “We meet our employees where they are on their health journey through education, coaching, virtual offerings, internal policies, and spiritual wellness. Investing in our employees’ health demonstrates just how important each and every staff member is to Premier Health and its mission of improving the health of the communities we serve.”

Throughout the pandemic, wellness efforts expanded in response to the enormous stress and pressures placed on staff. Respite rooms or “quiet rooms” on frontline floors were established, allowing any staff member to escape busy clinical areas, process emotions, relax, or receive onsite counseling. The rooms included healthful snacks, calming music, and educational resources. A network of wellness consultative services, including a hotline to speak with a chaplain, access to the Employee Assistance Program, and support groups, were made available for staff to converse with other frontline workers.

In addition, Premier Health established an employee resource page, which included information about childcare, free/discounted lodging, virtual wellness webinars, and access to “Online Health University” courses on substance use prevention and stress reduction. All of these offerings continue today.

Earlier this year, Premier Health was also recognized in the 2021 Healthiest Employers of Ohio, placing third in the extra-large company category. This program honors people-first organizations that prioritize the well-being of their employees.

Healthiest Employers® was founded more than a decade ago by Springbuk, the health intelligence platform for Healthiest Employers, to drive meaningful investment in employees’ health and wellbeing and to accelerate companies’ adoption of data-driven approaches to health initiatives and planning employee benefits.